Epigenetics of diabetes Type 2 Since Type 2 diabetes is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia as a result of impaired pancreatic beta cell function and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues, it was thought that the gene might be downregulated in type 2 diabetes patients through DNA methylation. The defects in pancreatic beta cell function and insulin resistance in peripheral tissues were thought to be the result of impaired ATP production from reduced oxidative phosphorylation. It was found that the mRNA expression of PPARGC1A was markedly reduced in pancreatic islets from type 2 diabetic donors compared with that of non-diabetic donors. Using bisulfite testing, it was also
Lifestyle causes of diabetes mellitus type 2 level of adiponectin, both of which increase the risk of developing diabetes. However, different fat tissues behave differently. Visceral fat, which is found around organs such as the intestines and liver, releases signalling molecules directly into blood heading into the liver where glucose is absorbed and processed, while subcutaneous fat under the skin is much less metabolically active. The visceral fat is located in the abdomen in the waist region, large waist circumference and high waist-to-hip ratio are therefore often used as indications of an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The increased rate of childhood obesity between the 1960s