Researchers identified five areas of DNA that could account for 70 percent of the genetic risk for type-2 diabetes.
They identified four different areas of genetic variation that conferred a significant risk of developing diabetes and confirmed that a fifth area, a gene called TCF7L2 suspected in diabetes, is associated with the disease.
The study is published in the journal Nature.
“Our new findings mean that we can create a good genetic test to predict people’s risk of developing this type of diabetes,” said Philippe Froguel of Imperial College London, who worked on the study.
The findings could explain up to 70% of the genetics of the disorder which affects over 1.9 million UK people. Family history is a major risk factor for the condition, along with obesity.
Diabetes mellitus type 2 (formerly called diabetes mellitus type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM), obesity related diabetes, or adult-onset diabetes) is a metabolic disorder that is primarily characterized by insulin resistance, relative insulin deficiency, and hyperglycemia. It is presently incurable.
Type 2 Diabetes is rapidly increasing in the developed world, and there is some evidence that this pattern will be followed in much of the rest of the world in coming years. The CDC has characterized the increase as an epidemic.