Diabetes Mellitus in Athabaskan Indians in Alaska

Mouratoff, George J.; Carroll, Nicholas V.; Scott, Edward M.

doi:10.2337/diab.18.1.29

Cited by 53 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…These foods are nutrient dense, with high levels of protein, fat (especially omega-3 fatty acids), and antioxidants (e.g., selenium), while low in carbohydrates (11,(18)(19)(20)(21)(22). Despite the high protein and fat content of the diet, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease were historically rare in circumpolar people (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)). An increasing number of studies suggest that this may in part be due to the high content of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in the traditional diet.…”

Section: Traditional Dietsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

McGrath-Hanna¹,

Greene

Tavernier

et al. 2003

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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Background. The people living in Arctic and Subarctic environments have adapted to cold temperatures, short growing seasons, and low precipitation, but their traditional ways are now changing due to increased contact with Western society. The rapid alteration of circumpolar cultures has led to generational changes in diet from traditional foods to the processed groceries common in modern stores. Objectives. Develop a link between changing traditional diets and mental health that may have substantial consequences for circumpolar peoples. Methods. Review of English language literature pertaining to the northern circumpolar environments of the world that consist of the Arctic and Subarctic areas. Electronic resources such as ISI Web of Science and PubMed were utilized, using keywords such as arctic, circumpolar, diet, omega-3 fatty acids, mental health, seasonal affective disorder, and suicide. In addition, we used the cited references of obtained articles and the extensive University of Alaska Fairbanks library collections to identify additional publications that were not available from the electronic resources. The years covered were not restricted to any particular period, although 83% of the sources were published in the last 16 years. Conclusion. The change in traditional diets has already led to increased health problems, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, while the mental health of circumpolar peoples has also declined substantially during the same time period. The decline in mental health is characterized by increased rates of depression, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, and suicide, that now often occur at higher rates than in lower-latitude populations. Studies in non-circumpolar peoples have shown that diet can have profound effects on neuronal and brain development, function, and health. Therefore, we hypothesize that diet is an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples.

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Section: Traditional Dietsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet and mental health in the Arctic: is diet an important risk factor for mental health in circumpolar peoples? - a review

McGrath-Hanna¹,

Greene

Tavernier

et al. 2003

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

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“…The lowest prevalence rates ( < 2%) have occurred in Eskimos [17], Alaskan Athabascan Indians [18], the Indian sub-continent [19], and populations of the Far East. This latter group includes Japan [20], Indonesia [21], and Chinese in the Peoples Republic of China [22] and Singapore [23].…”

Section: Prevalence Of Type 2 Diabetesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes ? An epidemiological overview

1982

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Summary.Despite the use of a wide range of different methodologies and diagnostic criteria, epidemiological studies have shown that Type 2 (non-insulindependent) diabetes has a global distribution and its prevalence varies from country to country, in different ethnic groups in the same country, and between the same ethnic group undergoing internal or external migration. Rural-urban and migration studies indicate that change towards a 'Westernized' lifestyle is associated with a dramatic increase in the prevalence rates for Type 2 diabetes. Between populations, comparisons are confounded by a wide range of different ascertainment rates, survey methodologies, and diagnostic criteria for diabetes. However, low prevalence rates for Type 2 diabetes are seen in Eskimos and populations of the Far East, while the highest are seen in American Indians, urbanized Pacific Island populations, and migrant Asian Indians. Available evidence suggests that these latter groups have a genetic susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes ('diabetes genotype') and that the disease is unmasked by environmental factors. There appears to be a spectrum of interaction between genetic and environmental factors -in certain populations the genetic role may be more important than environmental, or vice versa. Epidemiological studies, apart from their value in population screenings and case-finding, have contributed to the new classification and diagnostic criteria for diabetes and our understanding of risk factors and host characteristics in the aetiology of Type 2 diabetes.

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“…These surveys, and reports of Eskimos and A thabaskan Indians in whom diabetes is rare, are summarized in table VI, in which some of the figures are recalcul ated from the original data. Eskimos and Athabaskans, though they do not interm arry, reside in Alaska and have diets high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrate [Mouratoff et al, 1969]. I t is conceivable th a t environmental, especially dietary, differences are the reason th at Eskimos and A thabaskans are exceptions to the usual pattern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…A t least one Indian group [Mouratoff et al, 1969] does not show the susceptibility, however, nor do the other aboriginal inhabitants of the continent, the Eskimos [Mouratoff et al, 1967]. Further investigation of Indians living under varied environm ental conditions is desirable, therefore, and we describe here the first survey from the N ortheastern United States to determ ine the prevalence of clinical diabetes, and the distribution of plasma glucose values following a glucose challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%