• The burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus continues to rise.
• The way our body handles meal-related surges in lipids and the associated postprandial triglyceride dysmetabolism appears to be a major determinant of our risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• We have obtained unequivocal evidence that postprandial hypertriglyceridemia leads to the development of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus in a diet-induced rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Polymorphisms of RAGE gene have significant effects on advanced glycation end products (AGEs) level and PON1 activity in diabetic subjects as compared to healthy individuals.
• Transcriptional expression of RAGE mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been found to be significantly higher in diabetic patients than in controls.
• Role of arginine vasopressin pathways in chronic stress coping is being increasingly recognized.
• A chronically hyperactive and dysregulated HPA axis is associated with enhanced diabetes risk.
• Other novel risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus include circadian disruption and environmental pollutants. Shift work is associated with metabolic and genetic dysregulation among Indians.
• Postprandial triglyceride dysmetabolism appears central to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
• Genetic/molecular studies can also help in understanding the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms of type 2 diabetes risk.
• Longitudinal studies throw up challenges to traditional concepts and widen the scope of our understanding of the disease.
• We need to develop culturally sensitive diabetes management recommendations that allow women to remain integrated in protective social and family roles while still successfully managing blood sugar.

There is a strong inverse link of stress coping capabilities with diabetes risk. Hence, there is a need to focus on strategies to improve stress coping.