Diabetes Research

US-Mexico Border Project

The US-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project is a five-year collaborative project that will determine the prevalence of diabetes along the US-Mexico border. This information will be used to develop binational diabetes prevention and control programs that consider the unique characteristics of the border population. Household surveys were conducted in three selected areas: El Paso, Laredo, and Hidalgo-Cameron counties.

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Although research capacities exist, Texas is woefully lacking in pediatric diabetes research funding. Responding to this concern, the 77th Texas Legislature in 2001 mandated the creation of a Texas Pediatric Diabetes Research Advisory Committee to develop a plan to research pediatric diabetes and medical conditions associated with diabetes within the state. The members of this Committee are active in research, education, and advocacy.

In December 2002, the Committee submitted its report to the Governor. Recommendations are that diabetes in children be a reportable disease and that the state create a Texas Pediatric Diabetes Research Resource.

View Pediatric Diabetes Research in Texas: An Initiative to Understand and Prevent Diabetes in Texas Children. (PDF, 399 kb, viewing information)

Described in 1889 by a German dermatologist, acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a physical skin finding that may be a marker for high blood insulin levels, suggesting insulin resistance. In 1976 acanthosis nigricans was linked to hyperinsulinemia, a consequence of insulin resistance that is associated with obesity.

Due to concern for diabetes in Texas, the 76th Texas Legislature authorized acanthosis nigricans pilot screening in nine counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Webb, Willacy, Starr, Zapata, El Paso, and Hudspeth. The goals of this legislation, House Bill 1860, were to identify children with AN and intervene to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. The project, Acanthosis Nigricans: The Education and Screening (ANTES), is under the auspices of the Texas-Mexico Border Health Coordination Office at The University of Texas-Pan American.

View the Disease Prevention News article, Acanthosis Nigricans and Insulin Resistance (PDF, 95kb, viewing information)

Last Updated July 12, 2005