Tejal Somvanshi
A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland has revealed that adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, even in those individuals with a higher genetic predisposition towards the disease. This research highlights that healthy lifestyle modifications can benefit everyone, regardless of genetic risk.
Type 2 diabetes is a significant global health issue,as the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that one in eleven adults worldwide are diabetic, and 90% of them have type 2 diabetes. Over 500 genetic variants are identified that are shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle factors remain a significant factor in the development of the disease. Lifestyle-related risk factors include obesity, low intake of dietary fibre, high consumption of saturated fats, and lack of physical activity, are key contributing factors.
The study focused on the T2D-GENE trial, which investigates the impact of lifestyle intervention on reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The trial involved 973 men aged 50 to 75 from Eastern Finland with elevated fasting blood glucose levels. These participants were split into four groups based on their genetic risk of developing diabetes, determined by analysing 76 known gene variants. The intervention groups included men with high and low genetic risk, with 313 and 315 participants, respectively. Similarly, the non-intervention groups (control group) were divided into low-risk (196 individuals) and high-risk (149 individuals) categories.
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Importantly, neither the participants nor the researchers knew which genetic risk group the participants belonged to during the study, and all received the same lifestyle guidance. The men in the lifestyle intervention group significantly improved their diets by increasing their intake of fibre, improving fat quality, and consuming more vegetables, fruits, and berries. Additionally, weight loss was also observed among the participants as they became physically active and maintained their exercise habits throughout the study.
These lifestyle changes led to a significant reduction in the progression of glucose metabolism deterioration, with a notably lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the intervention group compared to the control group. The effects of lifestyle changes were equally significant for both individuals with low and high genetic risk.
“These findings encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health. Furthermore, they demonstrate the effectiveness of group- and internet-based lifestyle guidance, which saves healthcare resources,” says Maria Lankinen, University Lecturer and Docent at the University of Eastern Finland and the lead author of the study.
In summary, while more than 90% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which differs from type 1 diabetes (a condition caused by autoimmune issues) and is driven by both genetic factors and lifestyle choices, this study underscores the relevance of lifestyle changes to mitigate the risk, even for those genetically predisposed.
