|
Type 2 diabetes gene discovered
NEW YORK: Scientists say they have discovered a variant gene that increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The TCF7L2 gene is carried by more than one-third of the U.S. population, the New York Times reported.
The finding was reported in the journal Nature Genetics by researchers at Decode Genetics, which specializes in finding the genetic roots of human diseases by studying the Icelandic population.
Decode Genetics first found the genetic variant in Icelanders and has now confirmed the finding in a Danish and an American population, the newspaper said.
Decode chief executive Kari Stefansson says identifying people who carry the variant gene will give those people an added incentive to exercise and eat properly.
| 
