Genetic epidemiology of diabetes.
Conventional genetic analysis focuses on the genes that account for specific phenotypes, while traditional epidemiology is more concerned with the environmental causes and risk factors related to traits. Genetic epidemiology is an alliance of the 2 fields that focuses on both genetics, including allelic variants in different populations, and environment, in order to explain exactly how genes convey effects in different environmental contexts and to arrive at a more complete comprehension of the etiology of complex traits. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of diabetes and the current understanding of the genetic bases of obesity and diabetes and provide suggestions for accelerated accumulation of clinically useful genetic information.
Permutt
M Alan
MA
Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110-1010, USA. apermutt@im.wustl.edu
Wasson
Jonathon
J
Cox
Nancy
N
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable