EXAMINATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENCES IN DISEASE ARCHITECTURE AND EPISTASIS TO TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK IN AFRICAN AMERICANS

Abstract

Diabetes is a major global health problem. In the United States alone, 29.1 million people, or 9.3% of the population, have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is the most common form of the disease and represents 90-95% of all diagnosed cases. This form of the disease is characterized by high blood sugar resulting from defects in insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells and defects in insulin action in hepatic, skeletal muscle, and other peripheral tissues. The most recent data shows that the prevalence of diabetes is much higher among African Americans (13.2%) compared to European Americans (7.6%). This dissertation examines genetic causes of disparity in T2D prevalence between African Americans and European Americans through an investigation of differences in disease architecture and an evaluation of heritable risk not captured in previous genetic studies.