INS and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Given the higher frequency of the risk alleles in Asian populations, these loci may be particularly important in East Asian populations.87,110,111 A recent meta-analysis of East Asian studies has discovered eight novel loci for T2D, several of which showed suggestive associations in European populations.87 Most of these variants are predicted to influence the risk of T2D by affecting insulin secretion.86,87 The majority of loci reported to be associated with T2D show similar effect sizes in East Asian and European populations (Fig. 2).