The finding, published in the February print edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, clarifies some of the large racial disparities associated with diabetes risk and provides potential new avenues for developing treatments.

According to estimates from the National Health and Nutrition Exam Survey (NHANES), the prevalence of diabetes is 70 percent higher among African-Americans than non-Hispanic whites. Traditional risk factors such as obesity, socio-economic status, diet and behavioral factors account for some of the racial disparities, but not all.