Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Indians are more likely to carry a gene linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and type 2 diabetes

Scientists have pinpointed a reason why people with Indian ancestry may be more prone to weight problems. They have found this group is more likely to carry a gene sequence linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and type 2 diabetes. The sequence, discovered by a team led by Imperial College London, is carried by 50% of the population - but is a third more common in Indian Asians. The finding might provide a possible genetic explanation for the particularly high levels of obesity in Indian Asians, who make up 25% of the world's population, but who are expected to account for 40% of global cardiovascular disease by 2020.

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