Key Takeaways
Genetic risk of type 2 diabetes can be overcome with a healthy lifestyle
A healthy diet and regular exercise reduced the risk of diabetes by 70% in high genetic risk groups.
A healthy lifestyle contributed to weight loss and improved glycemic control, regardless of genetic risk.
FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) — A healthy diet and regular exercise can help people overcome their genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.
A healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 70% in a group of people with a high genetic probability of developing metabolic disorders, researchers have found.
In fact, the study found that healthy behaviors had a greater impact on diabetes risk in people with low-risk genes than in those with a lower genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes. The researchers found that the impact of a healthy diet and exercise on diabetes risk in people with low-risk genes was not statistically significant.
Still, “these findings should encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health,” said lead researcher Maria Lankinen, a lecturer in nutrition at the University of Eastern Finland.
According to the researchers, all participants tended to improve their blood sugar control and lose weight by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
The three-year study involved around 1,000 men from eastern Finland aged between 50 and 75. More than 600 men received healthy lifestyle advice, while the rest served as a control group.
According to the researchers, genetic risk was determined based on 76 genetic variants known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, during the study, neither participants nor researchers knew which risk group each individual belonged to.
Results showed that the men who received the lifestyle coaching significantly improved the quality of their diet: they ate more fiber, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats.
Results showed that the men also tended to maintain good exercise habits and lose weight.
Among those who received lifestyle counseling, about 7.7% of men with low genetic risk developed diabetes, and 7.9% of men with high genetic risk developed diabetes, roughly equal rates.
By comparison, 8.2% of low-risk men in the control group developed diabetes, compared with 14.1% in the high-risk group.
The new study was recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
“Our clinical trial demonstrates that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with a low-cost, group-based approach focusing on healthy diet and exercise in middle-aged and older men, particularly participants at high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes,” the researchers concluded in a university news release.
More Information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on how to prevent type 2 diabetes through lifestyle.
Source: University of Eastern Finland, press release, August 7, 2024
What this means for you
A healthy diet and exercise can help prevent type 2 diabetes, even in people who are genetically at high risk for it.
