Health Highlights: Feb. 11, 2007

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments,compiled by editors ofHealthDay:

Genetic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mapped Out

British and Canadian researchers say they've mapped out a genetic mutation that may indicate whether a person will develop type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.

In the United States, more than 17 million people are estimated to have type 2 diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes. In the United Kingdom, where the research was conducted, almost 2 million people have type 2 diabetes, according toBBC News.

The gene mapping will be able to identify about 70 percent of the genetic makeup of type 2 diabetes, the news agency quotes the scientists as saying. The gene mutation is a zinc transporter involved in regulating insulin secretion, according toBBC News. The research is published in the current issue of the journalNature.

"If we can tell someone that their genetics mean they are predisposed towards type 2 diabetes, they will be much more motivated to change things such as their diet to reduce their chances of developing the disorder," the news agency quotes researcher Philippe Froguel as saying. "We can also use what we know about the specific genetic mutations associated with type 2 diabetes to develop better treatments," he added.

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Stillbirth Risk Increases for Women Older Than Age 40

It may be a finding that many will find disappointing, but pregnancy after age 40 is an independent risk factor for stillbirth, according to researchers from Yale Medical School.

And that's why it's important for older pregnant women to get antenatal testing on a regular basis after 38 weeks into their pregnancy, the researchers told those attending the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Conference in San Francisco over the weekend.

According to a news release from the society, Yale scientists conducted a cross-sectional study of more than 11 million deliveries between 1995 and 1997 in a database provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results confirmed increase risks for older pregnant women, including gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, placenta previa and intrauterine growth restriction.

All of these conditions can contribute to a higher incidence of stillborn deliveries, the researchers said.