Rising Rates of Diabetes Among Young People Inspire International PhD Project

May 18, 2018

Share Post

A photo of Dr. Juliana Chan left and PhD Student Calvin Ke right
Dr. Calvin Ke (right) and Prof. Juliana Chan (left) at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong. (Photo credit: Amelia Yung)

Once thought of as a disease that only affected older adults, diabetes is now being diagnosed increasingly in young people under the age of 30, and the implications of this have yet to be fully studied.

“It is a global phenomenon occurring not just in Canada, but also in places like Hong Kong and India,” said Calvin Ke, an endocrinologist and a clinical epidemiology PhD student at the Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation (IHPME).

Ke is in the process of completing a three part international PhD project looking at the rising rates of diabetes in South and East Asian populations in Toronto – the world’s most multicultural city – and in India and Hong Kong. It is a unique approach that combines data from international partners to develop new insights into the management of the disease that have yet to be discovered.

“Ke’s PhD research is a wonderful blend of clinical epidemiology and global health. I suspect his findings will tease out and tremendously advance our understanding of influential factors on patient and population outcomes with respect to this disease,” said Dr. Rob Fowler, program director of the clinical epidemiology program at IHPME.

The first part of Ke’s project took him to India, where he worked with renowned epidemiologist Prabhat Jha to determine how diabetes increases the risk of mortality from heart disease and stroke. While in Hong Kong, Ke has been researching the rising rates of hospitalizations among young people with diabetes, under the guidance of Dr. Juliana Chan, a leading diabetes researcher in China.

“Diabetes is a global epidemic that cannot be fully addressed by one country alone, “ said Chan, “over the last 2 decades, we have been building a collaborative international diabetes management and research platform that includes over 80000 patients spanning 13 countries across Asia. These efforts are an essential first step to managing the global diabetes epidemic, and they necessitate the coordinated involvement of many international researchers.”

“This is a big change from previous decades,” adds Ke, “We are learning more and more about what happens to people when they get type 2 diabetes at such a young age, and we urgently need to develop better solutions for young people facing this growing epidemic on a global scale.”

Ke’s supervisor and associate professor at IHPME Baiju Shah agrees, “The impact of diabetes onset at younger ages is particularly concerning, since these individuals will be living with chronic disease for a longer part of their lives.”

A combination of factors, from genetic predisposition, to rapid economic development, and food abundance are thought to be contributing to the rates of earlier diagnoses. Add in a sedentary lifestyle, and you have the perfect recipe for the development of this chronic condition.

Data that Ke is studying has also shown that young people with diabetes are being diagnosed and hospitalized for further complications of the disease, such as kidney disease and heart attacks. Each hospitalization costs the health system and the economy in terms of lost wages and productivity to society, but there is also an indirect cost placed on the families and caregivers of patients.

A group of nurses with Dr. Juliana Chan and PhD student Calvin Ke at The Chinese University in Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital.
Dr. Calvin Ke (centre right) and Prof. Juliana Chan (centre left) with the nursing team at The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Prince of Wales Hospital International Diabetes Federation Centre (Photo credit: Amelia Yung)

“One of our main goals is to reduce the rates of hospitalization, and help those diagnosed better manage their condition over the course of their life, by improving their knowledge of the disease,” said Ke.

Better recognition from health care providers about the level of risk associated with type 2 diabetes at a younger age is also needed.

“While many assume that youth confers good health, we need to understand that this is not true when it comes to young people with diabetes. In fact, we found that the overall risk of suffering complications is actually higher for young people, because they are exposed to diabetes for a much longer period of time,” said Ke.

An international experience like this has added an interesting perspective to Ke’s research, and has allowed him to integrate data from three different countries in a meaningful way. “Studying how diabetes affects people in different global contexts reveals unique aspects of this complex disease. Each study adds an important piece to the puzzle, and lessons learned in one country can be incredibly valuable to informing interventions in other settings,” he said.

As it becomes more important to have an international research network, Ke highly encourages other students to think about the global aspects of the projects they are working on.

“I didn’t know coming into my graduate studies that my work would look like this, but to see it come together and to reflect on it, it’s quite amazing.”

Related News

A collage of five headshots, the 2025–26 Vector Scholars, arranged in a 3x3 grid, with alternating colored squares in blue, dark blue, light blue, purple, green, and yellow filling the empty spaces; the individuals have varied hairstyles and clothing.

Advancing the Future of Health Through AI: IHPME Students Recognized with 2025–26 Vector Scholarships

May 29, 2025

Awards / Students

Read More
A digitally altered photo of three people standing side by side with faces obscured by gray rectangles; the background is a blurred, blue-tinted urban scene with colorful bars in orange, green, and purple in the corners.

IHPME-Affiliated Team Looped Advances in AI Competition

May 27, 2025

Faculty / Research / Students

Read More
A collage of images from the 21st Annual Research and Impact Day. The images include various scenes such as people receiving awards, attendees engaging in discussions, a keynote speaker presenting, and a display table with informational materials.

Bridging Research and Reality: 21st Annual Research and Impact Day Highlights Innovation and Collaboration

May 12, 2025

Faculty / Research / Students

Read More
A group of people are posing for a photo in a classroom. They are standing and kneeling in front of a large white projection screen. The room has wooden paneling on the walls and several desks with chairs arranged in rows. Some individuals are wearing masks, and various casual outfits can be seen.

Innovation in Action: Highlights from the 6th Health Systems AI Hackathon

April 30, 2025

Faculty / Research / Students

Read More
Portrait of Dr. Andrew Boozary, man with dark curly hair wearing a stethoscope around his neck and a black blazer with a red pin. He is standing in front of a whiteboard with pink writing."

Integrating Housing and Health: Dr. Andrew Boozary’s Vision for a More Equitable Toronto

April 25, 2025

Faculty

Read More
Alt text: A close-up portrait of a man with short, dark brown hair, slight stubble, and light skin. He is wearing a light blue collared shirt and has a confident, subtle smile. His eyes are looking directly at the camera. The background is a plain, off-white wall with soft lighting creating a gentle shadow on the left side of his face. Colourful accent blocks are seen in the top left and bottom right corners.

IHPME Student Elected to U of T’s Governing Council

March 31, 2025

Students

Read More

Sign up for IHPME Connect.

Keep up to date with IHPME’s News & Research, Events & Program, Recognition, e-newsletter.

Subscribe to Connect Newsletter

Get in Contact


Communications

Marielle Boutin
Email Address: ihpme.communications@​utoronto.ca

Manages all IHPME-wide communications and marketing initiatives, including events and announcements.