Doctors in Galway are attempting to work out why some people develop type 2 diabetes, while others do not.

According to Dr Francis Finucane, a consultant endocrinologist at Galway University Hospital (GUH), working this out ‘will help us develop better therapies for tomorrow'.

"The diabetes clinical research that's happening in Galway will help to increase our understanding of this complex area. While in one sense diabetes is a lifestyle disease associated with inadequate physical activity and unhealthy diet, the reality is that only some people who have those risk factors get diabetes, while others get it despite being relatively healthy. Understanding why this happens will bring significant benefits to our patients," he said.

Dr Finucane noted that in recent years, many medications that were thought to be effective in the treatment of obesity - a major risk factor for diabetes - have since been withdrawn because of safety concerns.

"We are keen for novel medicines to be made available at an early stage to our patients. We have actively engaged with the pharmaceutical industry so that our patients have the opportunity to participate in randomised controlled trials of these new products," he noted.

Dr Finucane pointed out that worldwide, half a billion adults are expected to have diabetes by 2050 and almost one in 10 adults over the age of 40 in Ireland already has the condition.

He made his comments at the launch of a new patient-centred website, diabetescarewest.ie, which has been developed by GUH's diabetes charity, Diabetes Care West.

"Through this website we aim to provide patients with information about diabetes, about where we are located, what sort of work we do and the different types of specialised activities that go on here," Dr Finucane added.