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Nutrigenetics: Bridging Two Worlds to Understand Type 2 Diabetes

  • Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance (RM Watanabe, Section Editor)
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Abstract

The increasing global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major public health concern. Accumulating data provides strong evidence of the shared contribution of genetic and environmental factors to T2DM risk. Genome-wide association studies have hugely improved our understanding of the genetic basis of T2DM. However, it is obvious that genetics only partly account for an individuals’ predisposition to T2DM. The dietary environment has changed remarkably over the last century. Examination of individual macronutrients and more recently of foods and dietary patterns is becoming increasingly important in terms of developing public health strategies. Nutrigenetics offers the potential to improve diet-related disease prevention and therapy, but is not without its own challenges. In this review we present evidence on the dietary environment and genetics as risk factors for T2DM and bridging the 2 disciplines we highlight some key gene-nutrient interactions.

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Acknowledgments

Janas M. Harrington receives grant support from Health Research Board, Ireland, as she is working in the HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research and funded by the Irish Health Research Board (HRC 2007/13). Catherine M. Phillips is employed by University College Cork.

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Conflict of Interest

Janas M. Harrington declares that she has no conflict of interest. Catherine M. Phillips declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Centre for Diet and Health Research, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Western Gateway Building, Cork, Ireland

    Janas M. Harrington & Catherine M. Phillips

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  1. Janas M. Harrington
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  2. Catherine M. Phillips
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Correspondence to Catherine M. Phillips.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance

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Harrington, J.M., Phillips, C.M. Nutrigenetics: Bridging Two Worlds to Understand Type 2 Diabetes. Curr Diab Rep 14, 477 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-014-0477-1

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