Gene linked to diabetes identifed

A GENE that controls the way the body responds to the hormone insulin has been identified, marking a breakthrough in the fight against diabetes.

British scientists believe a variation in the gene’s DNA promotes insulin resistance, the primary cause of type 2 diabetes.

The disease is the most common form of diabetes, affecting around two million people in Britain. It’s estimated that close on 5% – 141,063 – of adults in Ireland have diabetes.