Genetic Ancestry Markers and Difference in A1c Between African American and White in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

HbA1c levels are higher in blacks than non-Hispanic whites (NHWs). We investigated whether genetics could explain this difference in Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) participants.

Methods

We tested (i) genetic variants causing hemoglobinopathies, (ii) a genetic risk score (GRS) based on 60 variants associated with HbA1c from genome-wide association meta-analysis, and (iii) principal component (PC) factors that capture continental ancestry derived from genetic markers distributed across the genome.

Results

Of 2658 eligible DPP participants, 537 (20%) self-identified as black and 1476 (56%) as NHW. Despite comparable fasting and 2-hour glucose levels, blacks had higher HbA1c (mean ± SD = 6.2 ± 0.6%) compared with NHWs (5.8 ± 0.4%; P < 0.001). In blacks, the gen

SUBMITTER: Hivert MF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6300069 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature