Bangladeshi and Pakistani people have some of the highest rates of heart disease, diabetes and poor health in the UK. Genes and Health is a groundbreaking research study set up to look at how genes work, and how diseases develop, with the aim of identifying better treatments or ways to prevent them.
Nadeem Mir QPM, a former Chief Inspector of Greater Manchester Police and Chief Executive Officer of Rochdale Council of Mosques is among hundreds of people of South Asian heritage in Greater Manchester who have taken part by filling in a simple questionnaire and giving a saliva sample.
He met research staff from Northern Care Alliance and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trusts at the Golden Mosque – Rochdale’s first Mosque – to give his sample for the study.
Mr Mir said: “I thought it was really important to take part in this Genes study because it’s about understanding your community, it’s about making sure that the health service that’s being provided currently is fit for purpose. Hopefully through this sample and through this research, I’m hoping that we’ll be able to provide better medical services for all the communities in Greater Manchester and across the country.”
He added: “This is one of the first studies where the research findings have shown genes in people of different heritages have an impact on whether a particular medicine is effective or not.
“We often rely on medical practitioners to prescribe medication based upon trials mainly conducted on the indigenous community. This research has focused on the South Asian community and already shown that certain medicines previously prescribed as routine treatment are ineffective due to our genes.”
If you’d like to find out more about taking part in this study, email community.research@nca.nhs.uk