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Racial/Ethnic Differences in Insulin Resistance and Beta Cell Function: Relationship to Racial Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes among African Americans versus Caucasians

  • Obesity Treatment (CM Apovian, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Both biological and sociocultural factors have been implicated in the well-documented racial disparity in incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) between African Americans (AA) and non-Hispanic whites (NHW). This review examines the extent to which biological differences in glucose metabolism, specifically insulin resistance and beta cell function (BCF), contribute to this disparity. The majority of available data suggests that AA are more insulin resistant and have upregulated BCF compared to NHW. Increasing evidence implicates high insulin secretion as a cause rather than consequence of T2D; therefore, upregulated BCF in AA may specifically confer increased risk of T2D in this cohort. Racial disparities in the metabolic characteristics of T2D have direct implications for the treatment and health consequences of this disease; therefore, future research is needed to determine whether strategies to reduce insulin secretion in AA may prevent or delay T2D and lessen racial health disparities.

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Acknowledgments

Nawfal Istfan reports grants from the American Diabetes Association.

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Conflict of Interest

Brooke R. Hasson and Nawfal Istfan declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Caroline Apovian reports grants and personal fees from Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., personal fees from Johnson & Johnson, personal fees from Nutrisystem, Inc., grants and personal fees from GI Dynamics, Inc., personal fees from EnteroMedics, Inc., personal fees from Zafgen Inc., personal fees from Arena Pharmaceuticals, personal fees from Merck & Co., Inc., grants and personal fees from Sanofi-Aventis US LLC, grants and personal fees from Amylin Pharmaceuticals, grants from The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation, grants from Aspire Bariatrics, Inc., grants and personal fees from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and grants from Pfizer, Inc.

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  1. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, 88 East Newton Street, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Brooke R. Hasson & Caroline Apovian

  2. 88 E. Newton St., Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Nawfal Istfan

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  1. Brooke R. Hasson
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  2. Caroline Apovian
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Correspondence to Nawfal Istfan.

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Hasson, B.R., Apovian, C. & Istfan, N. Racial/Ethnic Differences in Insulin Resistance and Beta Cell Function: Relationship to Racial Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes among African Americans versus Caucasians. Curr Obes Rep 4, 241–249 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-015-0150-2

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