Racial/ethnic differences in the burden of type 2 diabetes over the life course: a focus on the USA and India

Diabetologia. 2019 Oct;62(10):1751-1760. doi: 10.1007/s00125-019-4968-0. Epub 2019 Aug 27.

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a common disease worldwide, but its prevalence varies widely by geographical region and by race/ethnicity. This review summarises differences in the frequencies of type 2 diabetes according to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, area of residence and environmental toxins. Type 2 diabetes susceptibility often begins early in life, starting with genetic susceptibility at conception and continuing in later life, via in utero, childhood and adult exposures. Early-life factors may lead to overt type 2 diabetes in childhood or in later life, supporting the concept of developmental origins of health and disease. The causes of the racial/ethnic differences in incidence of type 2 diabetes are not well understood. Specifically, the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to such differences are largely unknown. With a few exceptions in isolated populations, there is little evidence that differences in frequencies of known type 2 diabetes susceptibility genetic alleles account for racial/ethnic differences, although the search for genetic susceptibility has not been uniform among the world's racial/ethnic groups. In the USA, race/ethnicity is associated with many other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including being overweight/obese, diet and socioeconomic status. Some studies suggest that some of these factors may account for the race/ethnic differences in prevalence of type 2 diabetes, although there is inadequate research in this area. A better understanding of the impact of these factors on type 2 diabetes risk should lead to more effective prevention and treatment of this disease. This has not yet been achieved but should be a goal for future research.

Keywords: Life course development; Race/ethnicity; Review; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Asian People
  • Black or African American
  • Child
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / ethnology
  • Female
  • Hispanic or Latino
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • India / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • United States / epidemiology
  • White People
  • Young Adult