The genes that control lipid levels may be an early predictor of diabetes as well as atherosclerosis and heart disease, researchers reported in two separate studies.In one study, the lipid component dihydroceramide (dhCer) coded by a region on chromosome 3 appeared to be a diabetes risk factor independent of glucose and insulin levels, Joanne E. Curran, PhD, of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, and colleagues found.
