Diabetes Genes Decline Out of Africa

摘要

Ask a physician which ethnic group is most at risk for type 2 diabetes, and he might cite Native Americans or African-Americans. But now a thorough analysis of all known genetic variants associated with the disease reveals a surprising pattern: It's Africans themselves who face the highest known genetic risk from this epidemic, according to a new report at the meeting. In 2010, only 3% of subSaharan Africans had any kind of diabetes, compared with 12% of Americans, but type 2 diabetes has a big environmental component and is only now beginning to show up in African city dwellers who have adopted a Western diet and lifestyle. As that lifestyle spreads in the future, Africans may face a serious threat, according to a talk and poster from a Stanford University team.