Diabetes Treatment Could Start Earlier Thanks to Newly Discovered Protein Risk

Researchers at Sweden’s Lund University have identified a “promising candidate” for a test that will indicate an early risk for type 2 diabetes.

“We have shown that individuals who have above-average levels of a protein called SFRP4 in the blood are five times more likely to develop diabetes in the next few years than those with below-average levels,” said Anders Rosengren, a researcher at the Lund University Diabetes Centre (LUDC).

According to researchers, SFRP$ plays a role in inflammatory processes in the body, but this is the first time it has been linked to the risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also the first time inflammation in beta cells and diabetes have been linked.

“The theory has been that low-grade chronic inflammation weakens the beta cells so that they are no longer able to secrete sufficient insulin,” said Taman Mahdi, lead author of the study. “There are no doubt multiple reasons for the weakness, but the SFRP4 protein is one of them.

Culled from WEBPRONEWS