According too the provided text, if you only measure blood, you miss a significant amount of facts about Type 2 diabetes. Here’s a breakdown of what’s missed:
* Changes happening at the source: Type 2 diabetes is a multi-organ disease affecting adipose tissue, the liver, skeletal muscle, and the pancreas. Blood samples may not reflect changes occurring within these tissues.
* The vast majority of relevant genetic signals: Only 18% of genes with a causal effect in key tissues (like the pancreas) show a matching signal in blood. A massive 85% of genetic effects observed in these tissues are fully absent from blood-based analyses.
* Tissue-specific genetic information: Blood measurements obscure the unique genetic activity happening in different tissues, hindering understanding of the disease’s mechanisms.
* Insights from diverse populations: Some genetic associations related to Type 2 diabetes only become apparent when data from historically underrepresented populations are included – information not readily available from blood samples alone.
In essence, blood provides a limited snapshot, while a thorough understanding requires examining gene activity and protein levels directly within the affected tissues.
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