Medscape: Study reveals genetic underpinnings of type 2 diabetes in youth

Shailendra Patel, MD, DPhil, director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, spoke with a journalist with Reuters Health about the result of a first genome-wide study of type 2 diabetes in young people. The authors uncovered seven genome-wide significant associations with type 2 diabetes in youth, one novel and the remaining known. Patel was not part of the study.

"The study says that youth who are now developing diabetes have many of the same genetic risk factors as adults - not really a surprise - but there is a hint that perhaps factors not seen in adults may enhance the earlier manifestation,” Patel told Reuters Health. "Seeing a genetic risk marker that is novel may be some support for this idea. However, one really must stress how preliminary these findings are, and that every risk locus identified needs verification, as we can see associations like this but they may not be causal."

Read the full Reuters Health story online.

Learn more about Dr. Shailendra Patel online.

Featured image of Shailendra Patel, MD, DPhil, taken by Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.