Search Here

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have shown genetic variations can influence the link between zinc and diabetes.

"There are more than 50 genetic variants associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, and some of these genes or others may also cause people to interact differently with treatments. Our results would suggest there are gene-specific differences in how people respond to zinc," said assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in a press release.

To understand the genetic link between zinc absorption in insulin producing cells, researchers selected 55 individuals from the Older Order Amish community, whose lifestyle and genealogy are well understood. The individuals were screened for a protein alteration which affects zinc absorption in insulin cells. Thirty two individuals did not have the alteration while remaining carried the altered protein.

Researchers gave members of both groups 50 milligrams zinc twice a day for two weeks. The participants were to also asked to inject glucose during the study period. Insulin and blood sugar levels were measured five minutes and 10 minutes after glucose injection.

The experiment helped researchers conclude that those without protein alteration could benefit from zinc supplements if they developed diabetes.

"At the end of the two weeks of zinc supplementation, participants without the genetic alteration experienced a 26 percent relative increase in insulin response at five minutes compared to those with the alteration, indicating that zinc may be beneficial to those without the alteration, should they develop diabetes," researchers wrote.

Studies in the past have shown links between blood zinc levels and diabetes, indicating that high levels were associated with a lower risk of diabetes. It is also known that urine zinc levels are higher than levels in diabetics. Such observations led researchers to further study genetic basis of zinc-diabetes association.  

The findings of the preliminary study have been published in Diabetologia.