Professor John Wass explains how the centre will help patients with rarer conditions

The Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism will combine research, clinical care and patient education in hormone-related and metabolic diseases.

These include the brittle bone disease oesteoporosis, obesity, high cholesterol and growth disorders.

Peter Woodman, who has Cushing's disease, describes the condition and its impact

The centre will also provide a focus for research and treatment of rarer conditions, such as Cushing's disease.

The centre is a joint venture by the Department of Health, Oxford University and the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

The aim is to ensure that patients get faster access to new discoveries.

Launching the centre, Health Secretary Frank Dobson welcomed the pooling of expertise and resources.

Frank Dobson welcomed the new centre

"This will truly benefit patients. About 1.8 million people suffer from diabetes in this country, 150 million worldwide," he said.

"This international centre of excellence offers the hope of a better quality of life for a huge number of people."

Professor John Bell, Nuffield Professor of Clinical Medicine, said: "The centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities for treatment and for advanced scientific and clinical research.

"It will promote excellence in the training of scientists, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, reflecting the needs of our patients."

Care for thousands

Dr David Matthews, chairman of the centre, expects more than 15,000 patient visits each year.

Patient services previously located at the Radcliffe Infirmary NHS Trust will relocate to the new site.

Professor John Wass considers the possibility of a cure for diabetes

Dr Matthews said: "Our goal is to improve the understanding and treatment of diseases, facilitating the research effort to find cures."

Approximately half the new building will be devoted to research. Topics will include:

• Diabetes;
• Lipids;
• Metabolism;
• Endocrinology (including pituitary diesease, growth disorders and osteoporosis);
• Paediatric endocrinology;
• The genetic of diabetes.

Approximately 1.4million people have been diagnosed as suffering from diabetes in the UK, but it is believed another 1million people also suffer from the condition.

The number of cases is set to double by the year 2010 as the population ages, more people lead sedentary lifestyles and become overweight.

Paul Streets, chief executive of the British Diabetic Association, said: "One person is diagnosed with diabetes every five minutes in the UK, and the number of people with diabetes is set to double by the year 2010.

"Tackling diabetes must be a major health priority for the new millennium."

Mistaken belief

The most common form diabetes - type 2 - is often mistakenly termed a mild disease as it can be initially treated with diet or tablets, although insulin injections may be needed at a later stage.

However, serious complications such as heart attacks and stroke occur two to three times more often than in non-diabetic people, and diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, amputation of the legs and kidney failure.

When people are first diagnosed as having diabetes, about half of them already have evidence of early damage in the eyes, kidneys and blood vessels.

Diabetic complications develop in nearly a third of patients within ten years of diagnosis.

The UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) reported in September 1998 that better blood glucose control reduces the risk of progression of diabetic eye disease by 25%, and of early kidney damage by 33%.

The study also found that better blood pressure control reduces the risk of sudden death from long-term complications of diabetes by 33%, of stroke by more than 33% and of serious deterioration of vision by more than 33%.