Coffee and prevention of type 2 diabetes- is there a link and what is the evidence? (1 CME Point)
Speakers
Astrid Hauge-Evans
Diabetes Researcher, Senior Lecturer in Health and Programme Leader BSc Nutrition and Health at University of Roehampton
Astrid is a senior lecturer and programme leader of BSc Nutrition and Health at University of Roehampton. Her main area of research is the regulation of insulin secretion and cell survival in the pancreatic islet and its importance in the development and prevention of type 2 diabetes. This includes investigating how different cells communicate and modulate function within the pancreatic islet. Dietary components affect islet physiology and part of her research investigates how interactions between gut microbiota and beneficial wholegrain polyphenols from diet impact pancreatic islet function in type 2 diabetes. Coffee is also known to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes and she is carrying out research into the protective capacity of non-caffeine coffee components for islet survival and function. Before joining University of Roehampton, she was based in Diabetes Research Group at King’s College London for 10 years, first as a post-doc and then as a Diabetes UK-funded RD Lawrence fellow. In addition, she has also worked as a post-doc in the area of breast cancer research at the Institute for Cancer Research at Royal Marsden, London, following her PhD-studies at King’s College London.
The aim of the session is to provide an overview of what is currently known about the role of coffee in risk prevention for type 2 diabetes, with focus on the non-caffeine component in the coffee. Although discussing how this possibly affects a range of different tissues in the body, we will focus on the impact on the pancreatis islets, as this is the site of insulin release. This in turn is paramount for how we are able to regulate blood glucose levels within a healthy range on a whole body level. The presentation is an informative basic science talk and will therefore not include examples from clinic, in line with her background as a basic scientist in the field of diabetes research. Coffee is an everyday drink for millions across the globe, but there is still a lot to learn about its impact on the body, right down to the cellular level.