Inflammation may play role in type 2 diabetes

By Geoff Michaels, | Health | 0 Comments

Elevated blood levels of two inflammatory substances seem to be independent risk factors for type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, researchers report.
According to study, middle-aged women with higher levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly more likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a 4-year period than women with lower levels were.

IL-6 and CRP are inflammatory proteins that are released in response to infection and injury. However, chronic elevations in these substances may raise the risk of heart disease. Also, these proteins may be associated with high blood sugar levels and resistance to insulin-factors that often precede the onset of diabetes.

Researchers, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, studied data from more than 27,000 women over 45 years of age who were free of diabetes, heart disease and cancer when they enrolled in the Women’s Health Study. Over 4 years, 188 women developed diabetes, the report indicates.

The investigators found that those with the highest level of IL-6 were more than twice as likely to develop diabetes as those with the lowest level, regardless of obesity, family history of the disease, smoking, alcohol and exercise habits and use of hormone replacement therapy. Similarly, those with the highest level of CRP were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than those with the lowest level.

Overall, the risk of future diabetes was greatest among women with the highest levels of both proteins, the researchers report.