Study: Six Genetic Variants Linked To Type 2 Diabetes In South Asians

A team of international researchers examined the genomic DNA of South Asian patients with type 2 diabetes, identifying six genetic variants associated with the disease.

AsianScientist (Aug. 30, 2011) – People of South Asian ancestry are up to four times more likely than Europeans to develop type 2 diabetes, characterized by high blood glucose with insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency.

Currently, around 55 million South Asian people are affected worldwide and this number is projected to rise to 80 million by 2030.

But while lifestyle factors (unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, etc) are major determinants of this condition, they do not completely explain the why South Asians have a high tendency to develop the disease.

Thus, a new study turned its eye to the lesser-explored role of genetic factors in the increased risk of the Asian population, the first to focus on genes underlying diabetes amongst people originating from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh).

A team of international researchers examined the genomic DNA of 18,731 people with type 2 diabetes and 39,856 healthy controls, to locate genomic variations that were more common in diabetics.

Results of the study, published in Nature Genetics, identified six positions where differences of a single letter in the genetic code were associated with type 2 diabetes, suggesting that nearby genes have a role in the disease.

 “This is the first genome-wide association study in South Asians, who comprise one-quarter of the globe’s population, and who carry a high burden of the disease and its complications, including heart attack and stroke.”

“We have shown that the genetic variants discovered here in South Asians also exist and contribute to diabetes in Europeans. Our studies in Asians and European populations highlight the importance and gain in examining the same problem in different ethnic groups,” said Professor Jaspal S. Kooner, from Imperial College London and the lead author for the study.

By identifying six new genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes, scientists hope to find new leads in the search for diagnostic markers and drug targets to prevent and treat this disease.

The article can be found at: Kooner JS et al. (2011) Genome-wide association study in individuals of South Asian ancestry identifies six new type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci.

Source: Imperial College London.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Wendy Yang is a public health sciences major at the University of California, Irvine. She enjoys covering science and research news from Asia.

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