Gene could increase diabetes risk

A gene could be putting one out of two Americans at a greater risk for diabetes.

According to St. Louis University scientists, the gene can tend to cause people to burn more fat. That could limit the ability of the body to remove sugar from the blood stream and burn it.

Currently, about half the U.S. population is estimated to have a version of the gene. However, researchers say this does not mean half of us will develop Type 2 diabetes—only that the gene appears to raise the risk.