Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes: association, interaction, prediction

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes is a common chronic disease that results from an imbalance between the bodies insulin need and the production of insulin. It is a heterogeneous disorder in which the relative contributions of insulin resistance and defects in insulin secretion are highly variable between patients. Insulin is produced by beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. It is a hormone with an extensive range of effects on metabolism. One of its main functions is to facilitate glucose uptake in various body tissues to allow glycogen storage. Besides a number of internal and external stimuli, the primary stimulus for insulin secretion are elevated glucose levels. When a relative lack of insulin remains untreated, this will eventually result in hyperglycaemia, i.e. diabetes. Besides short term symptoms of hyperglycaemia, the main burden of type 2 diabetes are its long term complications; retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular disease, which account for most of the morbidity and mortality of the disease. Worldwide type 2 diabetes is a rapidly growing health care issue, with an estimated 171 million patients worldwide in 2000 and the expectancy that this number will be more than doubled by 2030. Although many researchers in the past decennia have devoted their research to type 2 diabetes, much