A team of British, French and Canadian researchers have discovered that a mutation in a gene known as G6PC2 or IGRP can raise the amount of glucose in a person's blood to harmful levels - and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

The study explains that even in healthy people who do not have diabetes, high levels of blood glucose increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.

Epidemiological studies have shown that 80 per cent of the risk of cardiovascular disease is related to a blood glucose level just above the average. In addition, high blood glucose levels are linked to obesity, poor nutrition and lack of exercise.

Now researchers from Imperial College London, the French National Research Institute and McGill University in Canada found an association between high levels of blood glucose and a mutation in the IGRP gene.

The mutated IGRP gene was found to block the action of a sensor called glucokinase.

Glucokinase is crucial to maintaining blood gloucose levels by signalling to cells known as beta cells which then secrete insulin to keep blood glucose levels under control.

Following the discovery, it is now hoped that a therapy will be developed to stop the defective IGRP gene from blocking the glucokinase sensor.

Professor Philippe Froguel, leading author of the research from the French National Research Institute and the Department of Genomic Medicine at Imperial College London, said: "Having a high level of blood glucose is a bit like having high cholesterol or high blood pressure in that the higher the level, the greater your risk of serious health problems. Our study helps unravel the genetic reasons why some people have higher levels of glucose in their blood than others."

The study compared the genetic makeup of 654 non-diabetic people with differing levels of blood glucose from the low to the high end of the 'normal' range; the discovery of gene mutations in these individuals was then confirmed by analysing the genetic makeup of a further 8,000 individuals with blood glucose levels within the non-diabetic range.

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