Study: Genetic predisposition to dyslipidemia associated with Type 2 diabetes risk

ATLANTA — People that are genetically predisposed to developing a condition that causes high blood cholesterol levels may be at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal Diabetes, was led by Qibin Qi of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and included 2,447 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 3,052 control participants of European ancestry from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Researchers found that the genetic predisposition to dyslipidemia, a lipid disorder caused by high cholesterol, was estimated by three genotype scores of lipids: LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Qi and colleagues found, however, that among the three scores, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride genotype scores were related to elevated Type 2 diabetes risk of 3% and 2%, respectively.

"In conclusion, genetic predisposition to low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides is related to elevated type 2 diabetes risk," the researchers said.

Click here to access the full study results.