Gene variant boosts diabetes risk

From Orlando, Fla., at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association

Researchers studying the Old Order Amish people of eastern Pennsylvania have found that variant forms of two genes show up more often among those who have type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes than in those without the disease.

The genes, called AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, encode proteins that sit on the surface of cells and serve as docking ports for adiponectin, a hormone released by fat cells.