[pronut-hiv] BBC: Early warning hope for diabetes

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BBC: Early warning hope for diabetes

Raised levels of a protein in the blood may provide an early warning
sign of the development of type 2 diabetes, research suggests. 
Scientists believe testing for levels of the protein - RBP4 - may help
identify those at risk of diabetes before symptoms become apparent. 

Drugs to cut RBP4 levels may also help reduce the risk of full-blown
disease. 

The study, led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, appears in the
New England Journal of Medicine. 

Raised RBP4 levels were found in people with a condition called insulin
resistance, which develops when the body's tissues lose the ability to
respond to the hormone insulin. 

Because insulin is necessary to enable the body to take up sugar from
blood and convert it into energy, this impairment results in a build-up
of glucose in the bloodstream. 

The condition can lead not only to type 2 diabetes, but is also a major
risk factor for cardiovascular disease. 

However, it can be difficult to diagnose. 

Last year, the same team of researchers discovered that RBP4, which is
secreted from fat cells, could cause insulin resistance in mice. 

Reliable measure 

Now they have shown that levels of the protein provide a reliable
measure of whether or not a person has developed, or is at risk of the
condition. 

The finding held good whether no matter who the researchers tested,
including people with normal body weight and normal blood glucose, but a
strong family history of diabetes. 

Next, the researchers showed that people who improved their insulin
sensitivity by taking exercise also lowered their levels of RBP4. 

Similarly, RBP4 levels did not go down among people whose insulin
sensitivity was unaffected by exercise. 

Researcher Professor Barbara Kahn said: "Collectively, these findings
tell us that RBP4 is a useful marker for therapeutic improvement and
that this protein could play a causal role in insulin resistance in
humans, just as our lab previously showed in mice. 

"Being able to determine diabetes risk well before the onset of
symptoms could provide an important opportunity for patients to take
preventive measures. 

"For those who are overweight or sedentary, this could mean making
changes to their diet and fitness routines. 

"For those who are lean and fit, but have a family history of type 2
diabetes, this could mean taking anti-diabetic medication. 

"Either way, these findings could help clinicians to better manage this
growing epidemic." 

Dr Iain Frame, research manager at the charity Diabetes UK, said: "The
causes of type 2 diabetes are very complex and still not fully
understood. 

"This research could offer a new line of enquiry which could help to
understand the condition and help to produce new ways of battling its
effects."