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METABOLIC DISEASES

Microbiome genetics links short-chain fatty acids to metabolic diseases

A recent large genetic study by Sanna et al., published in Nature Genetics, has shown that short-chain fatty acids, which are produced by gut microbes, have a significant causal effect on insulin secretion, postprandial glycaemic responses and risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Fig. 1: Causal links between microbiome features and metabolic traits.

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Acknowledgements

C.M. is funded by the MRC AimHy (MR/M016560/1) project grant.

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Correspondence to Cristina Menni.

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A.M.V. is a consultant for Zoe Global Ltd.

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Menni, C., Valdes, A.M. Microbiome genetics links short-chain fatty acids to metabolic diseases. Nat Metab 1, 420–421 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-019-0056-5

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