AMPD2 and metabolic syndrome: AMPD1 deficiency is one of the most common inherited defects in the Caucasian population, with approximately 2% of individuals in this ethnic group being homozygous for this gene defect, and few if any of these individuals experience any adverse effects from this enzyme deficiency [6] suggesting that not only would inhibition of AMPD have beneficial effects in patients with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes but inhibition of this enzyme may lead to few deleterious effects.