Scientists have discovered a protein that can predict diabetes over 19 years it is possible to predict whether a person will develop type 2 diabetes 19 years before the onset of the disease. An article by scientists dedicated to the sign of imminent diabetes was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Experts have tracked the health of more than 5.3 thousand patients in Sweden and Finland for four to 19 years. “We found that high blood levels of follistatin could predict disease onset up to 19 years of age, regardless of other risk factors such as age, body mass index, blood glucose, diet and physical activity,” said lead author work, associate professor at the University of Lund Jan de Marinis.
Researchers have found that follistatin promotes the breakdown of fats in adipose tissue, which leads to the accumulation of lipids in the liver. This, in turn, increases the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. A genome-wide association search conducted among more than 5,000 Swedes, British and Italians showed that follistatin levels are controlled in the body by a regulatory protein called glucokinase (GKRP). Researchers are currently working on the development of a diagnostic device that, based on the content of follistatin, will predict the risk of developing diabetes in a person.