One of the biggest problems with studies can often be that they have too few participants. We will read interesting studies with fascinating findings, but then learn that there were 15 people in the study and wonder how trustworthy the results are. A new study used genetic information from 2.5 million people worldwide to learn more about the genes that drive blood sugar concerns.
The research was able to link genes and proteins to blood sugar concerns in a way that suggested they were the cause of the concerns, not simply a coincidence. They found results that could not be seen in past studies that looked only at blood samples. Blood samples can miss things happening in tissue.
“We’ve known for some time now that tissue context is important to consider when trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the development of [blood sugar concerns],” said co-senior author of the paper Prof. Cassandra Spracklen, of UMass Amherst. “But this work demonstrates just how important that context truly is.”
When looking at seven types of body tissues, researchers saw 676 genes that contributed to the risk of blood sugar concerns. But 85 percent of those genetic signs couldn’t be found in blood tests.
The researchers looked at people from Africa, the Americas, East Asia and Europe. They found that using genes and protein tests, they could accurately predict the risk of developing blood sugar concerns.
"This study powerfully demonstrates the strength and relevance of international collaboration and large-scale genomic data to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying complex [concerns like blood sugar health]," said Prof. Martin Hrabě De Angelis, Research Director of Helmholtz Munich.
The researchers showed that blood tests alone cannot always find the potential causes of blood sugar concerns. Understanding the root cause of a health issue is key to better diagnoses and treatment. Hopefully, this research will lead to more clarity on the source of people’s health issues and help prevent, or fight, future blood sugar concerns.
The researchers said their next step is to confirm their findings with real-world studies. This work was done with people’s existing medical data, not an experiment. They want more tissue samples, from more ethic backgrounds, that they can test themselves, rather than relying on databases for their work.
