Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 have shown that miRNAs have pivotal roles in many different gene regulatory pathways. A subset of miRNAs has been shown to be involved in metabolic regulation of glucose homeostasis and in epigenetics of diabetes type 2. Pancreatic islet-specific miR-375 inhibits insulin secretion in mouse pancreatic β-cells by inhibiting the expression of the protein myotrophin. An overexpression of miR-375 can completely suppress glucose-induced insulin secretion, while inhibition of native miR-375 will increase insulin secretion. In another study, increasing the level of miR-9, a different miRNA, resulted in a severe defect in glucose-stimulated insulin release. This happens because miR-9 down-regulated the transcription
Diabetes mellitus type 2 in the least developed countries. Women seem to be at a greater risk as do certain ethnic groups, such as South Asians, Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and Native Americans. This may be due to enhanced sensitivity to a Western lifestyle in certain ethnic groups. Traditionally considered a disease of adults, type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in children in parallel with rising obesity rates. Type 2 diabetes is now diagnosed as frequently as type 1 diabetes in teenagers in the United States. Rates of diabetes in 1985 were estimated at 30 million, increasing to 135 million in 1995 and 217 million