Scientists from Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) have jointly published the first risk score to screen for prediabetes in the Middle East, where prevalence is one of the highest in the world.

Around 8,000 participants from the Qatar Biobank (QBB) were analyzed by researchers using machine learning techniques to identify the associations between prediabetes and the data collected, which included citizens of Qatar and long-term residents.

PRISQ uses body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, age, gender, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure to calculate a score that indicates the risk of having prediabetes. Therefore, PRISQ can easily be used in clinical or community settings by primary health care personnel, and even by the public.

The tool will be available as a standalone web server as well as an application that can be downloaded onto any smartphone.

According to Dr. Arredouani, “Our multidisciplinary collaboration with QCRI has allowed us to make swift progress on developing the first tool of its kind in the Middle East and the first to be developed using data from the Qatari population. PRISQ is set to become very important for the early detection of individuals with prediabetes and, ultimately, in curbing the diabetes epidemic in the region. It is an affirmation of our shared commitment to tackling challenges that impact on the lives of people in Qatar and across the Middle East.” 

Dr. Bensmail, said: “We are honored to be engaged with our peers at QBRI to advance research into prediabetes. Our collective efforts have generated a crucial solution for a problem that is endemic to the region, clearly showing how much more we can achieve collectively. It is our hope that this new cost-effective tool will help people to make the necessary lifestyle changes to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.”

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is raised dramatically once a person is prediabetic, with 5 to 10 percent of prediabetic people developing type 2 diabetes annually. Additionally, for every 100 healthy individuals, only five will develop type 2 diabetes within six years. However, for every 100 individuals with prediabetes, 33 to 65 will develop type 2 diabetes within six years. 

Based on scientific evidence, the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or at least delayed, in a large number of individuals with prediabetes in response to intensive lifestyle intervention.

Therefore, early identification is essential for prediabetic individuals and indicates the importance of PRISQ, acting as a cost-effective tool towards curbing the type 2 diabetes epidemic sweeping the Middle East region.

The joint QBRI-QCRI study has been published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation and can be accessed online at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

For more information on QBRI’s initiatives, please visit qbri.hbku.edu.qa

For more information on QCRI’s initiatives, please visit qcri.hbku.edu.qa

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