DURHAM -- There are several risk factors linked to Type 2 diabetes including obesity, socio-economic status, and poor health habits. However, researchers at Duke Medicine have found that there may be other race-related factors that leave African Americans at a higher risk for the disease.

Dr. Ranee Chatterjee, lead author of a new Duke Study, says she and her colleagues were surprised by the results of their study.

"Our study was looking at the newer risk factors for diabetes that have been noticed along the way in the general population. And so we took those to see if they disproportionally affect African Americans more than Whites and we did find that was the case for a couple of them."

The study found that low lung function and serum potassium levels may help explain why African-Americans are disproportionately prone to developing Type 2 diabetes.