A hormone linked to metabolism may predict type 2 diabetes
The hormone adiponectin could serve as a biomarker for predicting diabetes 2
The hormone adiponectin could serve as a biomarker to predict type 2 diabetes, a study of the Biomarkers Consortium Foundation that manages the National Institutes of Health U.S. published in the online edition of the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
According to its authors, the research could help prescribe better therapies with fewer side effects to the millions who suffer from this disorder.
The current work, led by John A. Wagner from Merck Research Laboratories in Rahway (USA), reaffirms that hormone levels in patients with type 2 diabetes may also predict response to certain anti diabetic agents.
According to investigators, a group of receptors known as PPAR play important roles in metabolism genes that help cells respond to insulin.
Data collected from patients participating in several clinical trials showed that blood adiponectin levels clearly predict the activation of PPAR and subsequent insulin response. The findings support the potential use of adiponectin as a biomarker to monitor glucose tolerance.
The authors also propose that adiponectin could serve as a diagnostic marker to predict how patients will respond to thiazolidinediones, drugs commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes.