You could reverse your diabetes!

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease occurring when the body does not process blood sugar correctly. It either does not produce enough insulin, or it resists insulin. Millions of adults in the world are at high risk for developing this condition. The best way to prevent or manage type 2 diabetes is through diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.

However, certain rare genetic mutations may offer protection against developing diabetes. A study published in Nature Genetics discovered 12 protein-truncating mutations on the SLC30A8 gene that are associated with a 65% reduction in type 2 diabetes risk. These variants were present in less than 0.1% of the population. They inactivate one copy of the SLC3048 gene, suggesting that future treatments for diabetes could target the SLC3048 gene as well.

Again, diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blurred vision and blindness but can often be reduced with proper glucose management. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that cause eye damage will go a long way to helping doctors treat the condition.

For example, although high glucose is known to cause diabetic eye damage, there is some evidence that periods of low glucose make diabetic retinopathy worse. The authors of a new study published in Cell Reports tease out a cascade of molecular events that may explain this observation.

This research suggests that stabilising glucose levels may be as important as lowering them, especially for those already experiencing eye damage.