Can a genetic mutation increase the risk of mortality in type 2 diabetics?

This study examined whether a mutation in the GLUL gene can increase the risk of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a thickening of the wall of the arteries located in the heart. This can lead to a reduction in the blood supply to the heart and, ultimately, a heart attack. CHD is the leading cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

CHD is known to be caused by genetic factors and non-genetic factors. A mutation in a gene called glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL) has been associated with a higher risk CHD in T2D patients. However, it is not known whether this genetic mutation also increases increase the risk of mortality in T2D patients.

This study aimed to determine whether the GLUL mutation is associated with an increased risk of mortality in T2D patients.

This study involved a total of 1242 T2D patients recruited for two previous studies. The average follow-up period was 12.8 years for one study and 7.5 years for the other study. The presence or absence of the GLUL mutation was determined for each participant. The number of deaths occurring during the follow-up period was recorded.

Participants with the mutation had a 32% higher risk of mortality compared to those who did not have the mutation.

The association between the mutation and cardiovascular mortality was assessed in participants from the study which had information on the cause of death. In this group, participants with the mutation had a 51% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.  

This study concluded that a genetic mutation in the GLUL gene is associated with an increased risk of mortality in T2D patients. This increase may be due to the higher risk of cardiovascular disease in those with the mutation.

This study determined that the duration of diabetes or presence of kidney disease did not affect the association. However, other factors which were not accounted for may have influenced this association.