Million-Person Study Finds a Rare Gene Variant That Slashes the Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease

A study of over one million people across three continents identified a rare protective mutation in the FNIP1 gene that reduces heart disease and metabolic disorder risk by 60 percent on average; silencing the gene in human liver cells and mice demonstrated it switches on fat-breaking pathways and prevents fatty liver disease, suggesting a pathway for future therapeutic targeting of cardiometabolic diseases.

The findings are from cell and animal models; human gene-editing therapies based on this mechanism will require further research and clinical testing.