NHLBI IN THE PRESS

Gene study demonstrates value of ethnic diversity in improving health research

In a study that helps highlight the need for diversity in study populations, researchers identified 27 new genomic variants associated with conditions such as blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease in ethnically and ancestrally diverse populations. The study might lead to improved medical treatments among diverse groups and help reduce health disparities, the researchers suggest. 

The research team collected data from nearly 50,000 African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Native American and people who identified as “others” and were not defined by those ethnic groups. The scientists looked for genomic variants in DNA that were associated with measures of health and disease. They found that some genomic variants are specifically found in certain groups, while others are found in multiple groups. For example, the researchers found that a variant in the hemoglobin gene that has long been associated with increased blood glucose in African-Americans is also found in Hispanic/Latino populations.

The findings also suggest that previous genomics research that focuses on people of European descent might not be generalizable across all populations. The study, published in Nature,  was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute. It included data from the NHLBI-funded Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the Women’s Health Initiative. The study is part of NHGRI’s PAGE study (Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology).