Fol. Biol. 2022, 68, 159-179
Genetics of T2DM and Its Chronic Complications: Are We Any Closer to the Individual Prediction of Genetic Risk?
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex disease that has risen in global prevalence over recent decades, resulting in concomitant and enormous socio-economic impacts. In addition to the well-documented risk factors of obesity, poor dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles, genetic background plays a key role in the aetiopathogenesis of diabetes and the development of associated micro- and macro-vascular complications. Recent advances in genomic research, notably next-generation sequencing and genome-wide association studies, have greatly improved the efficiency with which genetic backgrounds to complex diseases are analysed. To date, several hundred single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with T2DM or its complications. Given the polygenic background to T2DM (and numerous other complex diseases), the degree of genetic predisposition can be treated as a “continuous trait” quantified by a genetic risk score. Focusing mainly on the Central European population, this review summarizes recent state-of-the-art methods that have enabled us to better determine the genetic architecture of T2DM and the utility of genetic risk scores in disease prediction.
Keywords
diabetes mellitus, diabetes complication, polymorphism, Central European population, genetic, GWAS, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease.
Funding
This study was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (grant No. NV18-01-00046).
