A Blood Marker Could Spot Diabetes Risk

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Six years later, 135 of the study participants had developed diabetes.

Those with the highest fetuin-A levels had twice the risk of diabetes than those with the lowest levels -- 13.3 per 1,000 person-years compared to 6.5 cases per 1,000 person-years, the researchers found.

The team adjusted the data to account for other known diabetes risk factors, such as age, physical activity levels, body mass, and more. The association between diabetes and fetuin-A remained, except for when the researchers controlled for abdominal fat.

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"When we adjusted for visceral fat, the link between fetuin and diabetes was still there, but was weaker," said Ix.

One expert said the findings are likely only a beginning.

"This is a very preliminary result which suggests that there might be a relationship between fetuin-A and diabetes, and this study suggests a potential target for drug development, but it's something that will take years to tease out," said Dr. John Buse, president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association, and director of the diabetes care center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill.

Ix agreed that the findings need to be confirmed by other researchers. But he also believes that this work is a jumping off point for other research.

"This study suggests that there are factors coming from the liver that might control glucose, and there's a chance that this might ultimately lead to new treatments and screening strategies," said Ix.

More information

To learn more about preventing type 2 diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association.

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