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.

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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