The racial and ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A black race narrative review

Abstract

Racial/ethnic differences cover clinical, biological, genetic, or epigenetic factors associated with disease risk, outcome, and treatment that are not related to socio-economic factors. The presence of these in type 2 diabetes mellitus produces a different perspective to the understanding and care in different races and ethnic groups. This becomes very important with individualized care that is not applied alongside these differences. Newer antidiabetic drugs with great promises do not have comparable efficacies across the races. New drug developments using genomics are similarly affected, so also their pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic applications. Racial/ethnic differences are found among the subgroups of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the aspects of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis. These differences are, however, different and independent of the differences found in drug treatment, diabetic chronic kidney disease, and diabetic retinopathy. For the African Americans and other Blacks, the type 2 diabetes with its different manifestations has not been adequately studied. Even when data exist, they are not taken into cognizance in formulating guidelines. There is, therefore, a need for a call to action. Literature search was in PubMed, Medline, and Google, for search terms race, ethnic, differences, and type 2 diabetes.