Newswise: A new study by researchers at Lund University in Sweden supports the idea that patients with type 2 diabetes should be divided into subgroups and receive individualized treatment. The study shows that there are different epigenetic differences between different groups of patients with type 2 diabetes. Epigenetic markers are also associated with different risks of developing common complications in type 2 diabetes, such as stroke, heart attack. and kidney disease.
“We show that there are different epigenetic differences between subgroups of patients with type 2 diabetes. Epigenetic markers are associated with different risks of developing common complications in diabetes, such as a heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease,” he says. Charlotte Ling, Professor of Diabetes and Epigenetics at Lund University and lead author of the study, published in Diabetes Care. .
An acclaimed study by researchers at Lund University, published in 2018, showed that it is possible to divide type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes into five subgroups. In November 2021, the same authors published a new study that highlighted the genetic differences between the four subgroups of type 2 diabetes, suggesting different causes of the disease.
The latest study shows that there are also epigenetic differences between the four subgroups with type 2 diabetes. Epigenetic markers can be developed to predict common complications of type 2 diabetes, which would allow for personalized treatment of patients.
“The healthcare system offers many patients with type 2 diabetes standard treatments, but growing evidence suggests that these patients need tailor-made treatments. Our new study adds to the evidence base that it is clinically relevant to classify patients with type 2 diabetes. 2 in subgroups to allow for more personalized treatments, “says Charlotte Ling, who leads a diabetes and epigenetics research group at Lund University.
The new study includes 533 newly diagnosed individuals with type 2 diabetes from two population-based cohorts in Sweden. The authors measured DNA methylations in the blood at 800,000 sites in the genome of all participants. DNA methylation is a chemical process by which methyl groups bind to the DNA molecule, affecting the function of genes. The researchers found that the four subgroups had different levels of DNA methylation at 4,465 sites.
The findings were used to develop epigenetic risk scores to predict common complications of type 2 diabetes. Epigenetic markers associated with two of the subgroups could predict an increased risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
“Heart attack and stroke are responsible for the majority of deaths among patients with type 2 diabetes. Kidney disease causes a lot of suffering and is very costly to society, as many patients need dialysis treatment. an epigenetic biomarker that can predict complications at an early stage would make preventative actions possible, “says Charlotte Ling.
Authors will need to verify their results in other population-based cohorts. They also plan to study DNA methylation in tissues of, for example, muscles, adipose tissue, liver, and pancreas of the four subgroups with type 2 diabetes.