Although previous studies unequivocally demonstrated that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has a strong genetic component, the genes that contribute to the risk of this disease were largely unknown until recently, owing to the complexity of genetic and environmental interactions that are involved in T2DM. Genome-wide association studies, which provide global searches throughout the entire genome, have greatly improved our understanding of the genetic background of diabetes mellitus. Here, the authors discuss the currently available findings of diabetes-related genome-wide association studies and examine the utility of the genetic loci identified in these studies as predictors of T2DM.
- Elliot S. Stolerman
- Jose C. Florez
