New Potential Indicator of Pre-Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes

New Potential Indicator of Pre-Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes: An investigation led by Sean H. Adams at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Center in Davis, CA, underscores the potential of natural compounds in the body, known as "fatty acylcarnitines," to serve as diabetes biomarkers. The scientists determined this after searching for telltale molecules in blood samples from diabetic and nondiabetic African-American women who volunteered for the research. In some instances, levels of certain fatty acylcarnitines were almost 300 percent higher in the diabetic volunteers than in those without the disease. Apparently, the higher levels result from incomplete or inefficient oxidation of fat in the diabetic women, according to Adams. Incomplete oxidation of fats has already been associated with insulin resistance, a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes. However, the study that Adams led adds detail to what he describes as the emerging picture of abnormal fatty acylcarnitine levels in blood as potential biomarkers of Type 2 diabetes. Also, nutrition scientists would be able to use the markers to monitor the progress of experimental nutrition- and exercise-based strategies designed for prevention. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul10/diabetes0710.htm