Scientists from Lund University suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes should be divided into subgroups and given individualized treatment.
They showed that there are distinct epigenetic differences between different groups of patients with type 2 diabetes.
The team found the epigenetic markers are also linked to different risks of developing common complications in type 2 diabetes, such as stroke, heart attack and kidney disease.
The research is published in Diabetes Care and was conducted by Charlotte Ling et al.
Epigenetic factors include your environment and behaviors, such as diet and exercise.
Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change your DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.
In the study, the team found epigenetic differences between the four subgroups with type 2 diabetes.
The epigenetic markers can be developed to predict common complications of type 2 diabetes, which would allow for tailored treatments of patients.
The team tested 533 individuals recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes from two population-based cohorts in Sweden.
They measured DNA methylations in the blood at 800,000 sites in the genome of all participants.
The researchers found that the four subgroups had different levels of DNA methylation at 4,465 sites.
The findings were used to develop epigenetic risk scores to predict common complications of type 2 diabetes.
Epigenetic markers associated with two of the subgroups could predict an increased risk of developing heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
The team says heart attack and stroke are responsible for most deaths among patients with type 2 diabetes.
Kidney disease causes a lot of suffering and is very costly for society, as many patients need dialysis treatment.
An epigenetic biomarker that can predict complications at an early stage would make preventive actions possible.
The authors will need to verify their results in other population-based cohorts.
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