A New Year is already here!! Time to send all of you a new circular with an update of where the DIAMOND Project is and where we are heading.
A DIAMOND Workshop took place in Kobe, Japan during the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress. Drs. Hilary King and Naoko Tajima coordinated the session that included presentations by the principal investigators in charge of the different components of the study. Numerous investigators, representing many of the countries participating in the study, and observers, interested in the project, were in attendance. An informal lunch, following the workshop, gave the participants an opportunity to meet each other, discuss ideas and report on the progress of their work. Also, DIAMOND posters were displayed during the meeting as part of the IDF Congress activities, giving the general public an opportunity to see the work involved in the DIAMOND Project. Several additional centers joined DIAMOND as a result of this meeting. The activities in Kobe were a great success and we thank the organizators for their efforts.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit what was a very beautiful city before the earthquake. Fortunately, we have learned that Prof. Baba and his family were not injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and other Kobe survivors and hope they can quickly proceed with rebuilding their lives.
a. DIAMOND Participants
Thus far, 104 centers have sent a local MOO out of the 166 centers participating in the DIAMOND Project. Four centers have sent data but have not sent a local MOO. We encourage these centers to send the local MOO in order to be considered Participant Members.
Some centers have reported problems with the validation of their registries. Enclosed with this circular you will find a brief review of the topic. If you have any more questions, do not hesitate to contact either the Pittsburgh or the Helsinki Coordinating Centers.
b. DIAMOND Components
- Incidence: Data Transfer Status
Currently, 72 centers have sent some kind of data: 69 incidence data and 72 population data. Twenty eight centers are on schedule (have sent data till 1992).
- Genetics
Data from the case-control studies in Auckland, New Zealand, Seoul, Korea and
Hokkaido, Japan, as well as an overview of the results from 12 centers, were presented in
the Diabetes Epidemiology Satellite Meeting in Himeji, Japan. A grant to expand these
studies in China has recently been funded by the NIH.
The family studies are progressing slowly. Data is now being collected in Puerto
Rico.
- Mortality
The mortality study will develop this year. We are completing a DIAMOND paper on the proposed standards for mortality studies. A grant is currently under review for the mortality studies in Japan, Israel, Finland and the U.S.
- Training
The 2nd Japan-US course will be held in Honolulu from August 27 to September 3, 1995. Additional information can be obtained from the local organizers: Drs. Beatriz Rodriguez and David Curb, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, 347 North Kuakini Street, Honolulu Heart Program, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817; Telephone: 808-536-7283; Fax: 808-536-3385.
A diabetes epidemiology course will be held in South Africa from 19 to 24 June, 1995, sponsored by WHO. The contact person is Dr. Hilary King, Diabetes and Other Noncommunicable Diseases Unit, Div. of Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Technology, World Health Organization, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland; Telephone: 41 22 791 0746; Fax: 41 22 791 3472.
Also, the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Office is planning a course in Cyprus for October, 1995. The local organizer is Dr. C. Theophanides, Diabetes Center, Diana Court, Loizou Philippou St., Paphos, Cyprus; Telephone: 357 62 34853; Fax: 357 61 33966.
c. Members Steering Committee
In response to the questionnaire sent with Circular 12, only 2 centers answered. The
proposed candidates were: Drs. Dahlquist, Levy Marchal, Michalkova, Podar and Soltesz.
One person has to be chosen from this list so we appreciate if you could fill and send the
form enclosed with this circular. The deadline for receiving the form is March 31, 1995.
d. Future DIAMOND events
The next DIAMOND investigators meeting will be held during the American
Diabetes Association meeting in Atlanta, USA (June 1995).
A DIAMOND session is being planned for the 9th Latin American Diabetes
Association Congress, to be held in Brazil on November this year.
Please mail or fax to: Dr. Ronald LaPorte
Rangos Research Center
3460 Fifth Av., 5th fl.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
(412) 692-8329
Deadline: March 31, 1995
Name:
Center:
I vote for the following person (only one) to be a member of the DIAMOND Steering Committee:
Dr. G. Dahlquist (Sweden)
Dr. C. Levy-Marchal (France)
Dr. D. Michalkova (Slovakia)
Dr. T. Podar (Estonia)
Dr. G. Soltesz (Hungary)