Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a genetic disorder that affects more than 400 million people worldwide. It is especially common in African, Asian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern populations. Importantly, G6PD deficiency is linked to lower HbA 1c levels, which can lead to misinterpretation in diabetes diagnosis. To better understand this association, researchers analyzed the population-level effects of undiagnosed G6PD deficiency on type 2 diabetes (T2D) detection using data from the UK Biobank (n = 467,368) and Genes & Health (n = 43,011).
The study identified G6PD deficiency alleles in about 1 in 7 Black and 1 in 63 Asian males, while fewer than 1 in 10,000 White males carried these variants. Alarmingly, fewer than 1 in 50 affected men had been clinically diagnosed. Male carriers exhibited average HbA 1c levels that were 0.9% lower than those of noncarriers,…
