Wednesday, January 20, 2010
In case of type 2 diabetes, normally an age-linked disease, insulin produced by the body can no longer maintain a balanced blood sugar level.
Researchers from the Centre for Medical Systems Biology (CMSB) of Amsterdam, Leiden and Rotterdam have, as part of an international effort, performed a meta-analysis on the glucose levels in the plasma
of some 126,000 persons. This has yielded nine new genetic variants that influence glucose levels, a number of which are also involved in
a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The value of the research lies in its potential to arrive at a better individual-linked risk assessment, and the development of new ways of reducing that risk.
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