This study examined the relationship between genetic ancestry, socioeconomic status, and risk of type 2 diabetes in populations in Colombia and Mexico. The researchers found that individuals with higher European genetic ancestry tended to have higher socioeconomic status. However, both higher Native American ancestry and lower socioeconomic status were associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. The effects of genetic ancestry and socioeconomic status on diabetes risk were confounded, making it difficult to determine their independent contributions. The study highlights the need to account for socioeconomic factors when examining genetic links to health outcomes.

1. S
Strong association of
socioeconomic status with genetic
ancestry in Latinos: implications for
admixture studies of type 2
diabetes.
J.C Florez et al.
Diabetologia
2009
Presented by Sarah Stansfield & Adam Kirstein

2. Introduction
 Disproportionate ratio of Latino ancestry and European
ancestry regarding type 2 diabetes
 Adjusted for BMI; or “ abdominal obesity”, Latino
ancestry-people still had a higher risk than European for
developing type 2 diabetes.
 Pima Indians with type 2 have more native ancestry than
their “normoglycaemic” peer populations
 “ a fraction” of Admixed Latinos
 Protective metabolic phenotypes. ( assumedly against type
2)

3. Introduction
 “Thrifty gene” hypothesis- limiting food resources in the
past have favored alleles that promote efficient bodily
storage of energy reserves…” ( Human evolutionary
genetics glossary)
 Looked at socioeconomic status as a contributor of type
2.

4. Location:
Colombia

5. Location:
Mexico

6. Methods
 Columbia: 499 cases with type 2 diabetes; 197 controls
 Controls: 40+ year olds with no history of diabetes in “first degree
relatives” recruited from centers for care of the elderly
 Mexico: 163 cases with type 2 diabetes; 72 controls
 Controls: 40+ year olds with no history of diabetes in “first degree
relatives” recruited from cases’ spouses, other patients at clinics

7. Methods
 Cases and controls were self-identified mestizos from same
geographical area with similar socioeconomic status.
 Unmixed populations to get allele frequency, corresponding
with ancestry and location.
 Genotyped all samples
 Used 67 AIMS to determine ancestry
 Focused on proportion European ancestry
 Standard errors for % European ancestry smaller than for % Native
American ancestry because the AIMs used were less informative for
Native American vs African ancestry

8. Methods:
Socioeconomic status
 Colombia: public utilities records, and property valuation
 Ranked 1-6
 Assigned a participant based on this strata
 Home ownership
 Mexico: Used a standardized interviewing questionnaire
 Monthly income, occupation, etc.
 Ranked lowest to highest
 Assigned participants based on this strata.

9. Results
 While there were effects found of % European ancestry
on type-2 diabetes, these were confounded by the effects
socioeconomic status
 Individuals with higher % European ancestry were more
likely to have higher socioeconomic status here
 Makes it difficult to determine which factor contributes
more to type-2 diabetes prevalence

10. Results

11. Results

12. Results
Mexicans Colombians

13. Results

14. Discussion
 There is a genetic association between proportion of non-
European ancestry and type-2 diabetes
 But the evidence of this association is highly confounded
by socioeconomic status
 Low socioeconomic status can increase the risk of
diabetes
 It is correlated with Native American ancestry