Variant in Sulfonylurea Receptor Encoder Cuts Risk of T2D, Heart Disease

HealthDay News — A common missense variant in the gene encoding a component of the sulfonylurea receptor (ABCC8 p.A1369S), which promotes closure of the target channel of sulfonylurea therapy, mimicking the effects of therapy, is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, according to a study published online in Diabetes.

Connor A. Emdin, DPhil, from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues used individual-level data from 120,286 participants in the UK Biobank and results from 4 large genome-wide association studies to examine the impact of p.A1369S on cardiometabolic traits, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

The researchers found that there was a correlation between the p.A1369S variant and a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 0.93). The variant was also correlated with increased body mass index (0.062 kg/m²) but lower waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index. In addition, p.A1369S was associated with a significantly reduced risk of coronary heart disease (OR: 0.98).

“These results suggest that, despite a known association with increased weight, long-term sulfonylurea therapy may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Reference

Emdin CA, Klarin D, Natarajan P, Florez JC, Kathiresan S, Khera AV. Genetic variation at the sulfonylurea receptor, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease [published online April 14, 2017]. Diabetes. doi: 10.2337/db17-0149