#5. New Diabetes Genes
Having a parent with type 2 diabetes ups your odds of developing the
disease, but why do some sibs get it and others don't? The answer lies
somewhere in your genetic code, and this year brought scientific sleuths
closer to cracking it. Research teams from the United States and Finland
uncovered four new genetic variants linked to an increased risk of diabetes,
which afflicts about 170 million people worldwide. Combined with the six
variants scientists had discovered previously, it brings the total to 10.
Eventually, these discoveries will aid experts in pinpointing those at
greatest risk for developing type 2 diabetes.