Diabetes Genes Linked to Lipid Metabolism

It has been genetically proved now that certain metabolic conditions are linked to risk of diabetes. Scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, Germany, have discovered gene variants some of which are known to affect diabetes also affect the lipid metabolism as well.

Professor Karsten Suhre conducted a study, which appears in the current online issue of the journal Nature Genetics, identifying variants in nine genes which may be associated with disturbances in the lipid metabolism.

Suhre and colleagues have also associated some variants of genes such as MTNR1B and GCKR that have been already linked early to diabetes with changes in the lipid metabolism.

These newly identified genetic variants may serve as biomarkers for the early detection and potentially therapy of serious metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

For the study, blood samples from 1,800 participants of the KORA population study were tested for the concentrations of 163 metabolic products.

Based on the data from the testing of the blood samples, the researchers examined the metabolic profiles for a possible association with common gene variants or SNPS and then confirmed the associations in other studies.

Individuals with different gene variants were found to have different levels of enzymatic activity and different concentrations of metabolites.

Lipid metabolism is linked to body fat and probably also to the risk of diabetes.  It has been known that obese individuals are at high risk of diabetes.  Some of the gene variants may just be the missing link between certain metabolic conditions and risk of diabetes.

Diabetes affects an estimated 20 million Americans with the health problem on the rise and no known way to stop the trend.

Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen Press Release