Latest findings on inflammatory biomarkers in the prevention of type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is affecting an increasing number of Poles. While the onset of type 1 diabetes is beyond anyone's control, the development of type 2 diabetes is. In prevention, a proper diet plays a key role, as well as an appropriate dose of activity, attention to maintaining a proper weight and a healthy lifestyle, and blood tests. Early recognition of the disease, as well as appropriate treatment, are key to effectively reducing its effects. It is estimated that more than 3 million Poles suffer from type 2 diabetes, but the number of undiagnosed people is probably significantly higher. According to a report created on the basis of the National Health Test of Poles, one in fourteen Polish adults has never checked their blood glucose levels in their lives. Given that diabetes produces no symptoms for years, this type of health behavior represents a primary risk for the growing number of cases.

Creating the right tools for effective prevention is a priority research goal for many research centers around the world. Recently, researchers at Edith Cowan University (Australia) have developed a new way to determine diabetes risk. Currently, the inflammatory biomarker most commonly used to predict type 2 diabetes risk is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). However, recent studies have shown that analysis of this biomarker is not sufficient to effectively predict the onset of diabetes. Therefore, researchers developed a blood test based on the analysis of several biomarkers of inflammation: C-reactive protein (CRP) in combination with another biomarker of the disease called the ratio of monocytes to high-density lipoprotein (MHR).

The study, which lasted 10 years, involved more than 40,000 healthy people. During that time, more than 4,800 people developed type 2 diabetes. The researchers noted that patients who developed the disease had an increase in both biomarkers, which contributed to the onset of the disease. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Translational Medicine at the end of January 2024.They confirmed the involvement of chronic inflammation in the early onset of diabetes and, as study author Dan Wu, PhD, argues, deserve further attention. The researchers confirmed that the prediction of type 2 diabetes risk was linked to a number of factors, such as age, gender and diseases such as hypertension. They also noted that the risk of diabetes is three times higher in the under-40 age group than in other age groups. It was concluded that in this age group, there is a link between chronic inflammation and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. According to the Australian researchers, the use of the combined biomarker test may be a promising method for early identification, especially among young adults at risk, and developing personalized interventions for them to avoid the disease.