Could Diabetes Be In Your Genes?

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes, there is a very good chance that someone else in your family has it as well. Roughly 10% of patients diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes have a first-degree family member (parent, sibling, child) with the same type of diabetes.

When it comes to the more common type of diabetes, Type 2, which accounts for over 90% of diabetes diagnoses, it is not always as predictable who will develop the disease. While it may run in families and there are certain genes related to type 2 diabetes, there are other factors that play into the development of Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes – Genetic, Something Else or Both?

When we see Type 2 diabetes “run in families,” we have to be careful not to assume it is for genetic reasons that both Billy Jr. and Billy Sr. developed the condition. A Swedish study of Type 2 diabetes found that abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and decreased resting metabolic rate were the most prominent features of first-degree relatives of those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The decrease in resting metabolic rate is partially the result of the abdominal fat. ¹

But is it genetics that causes an entire family to have abdominal fat, insulin resistance and a decreased resting metabolic rate? Or is it more likely that children of people with diabetes, more often than not, lead a similar lifestyle (eating processed foods, being sedentary) and are therefore more likely to develop the condition?

Another study out of Sweden wanted to determine if there was any value in genetic screening for the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. ² After collating data from numerous clinical studies conducted around the world, the researchers concluded the available data does not yet provide convincing evidence to support the use of genetic screening for the prediction of type 2 diabetes.

Genetic Testing – More Harm Than Good?

Sometimes looking at scientific data can be confusing (and depressing). For instance, if we look at a report put out by the World Health Organization (WHO), we’re told that relatives of individuals with Type 2 diabetes are three-times more likely to develop the condition than individuals without a family history. If you’re a relative of someone diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and you read this report, you most likely will think, “Oh no, I don’t stand a chance!”

Let’s get a couple of things very clear about scientific data:

1) It is not always (or even often) 100% accurate. Many studies are done to designate probability and conclusions are provisional.

2) Sometimes even really smart health experts and scientists can be biased and may be likely to skew results to fit their personal narrative. For instance, you’ve probably seen headlines that say things like, “Study finds meat eaters are more likely to die of cancer.”

What you’re not told is that the study also found that participants who ate meat, ate primarily fast food versions of meat (burgers and hot dogs) and tended to eat other processed garbage and smoked cigarettes on top of it. It was not the meat that killed them but a host of bad lifestyle choices.

The same thing can be said about the WHO report. Yes, people related to those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are 3X as likely to develop the disease.  Again, is that purely genetics, or is it that people who are closely related to one another tend to act like one another, thereby making the same lifestyle choices?

My biggest concern, and why I am somewhat skeptical of genetic screening for Type 2 diabetes, is that if a person finds out they have a familial predisposition to Type 2 diabetes, they may become hopeless. These people may be more apt to throw in the proverbial towel and say, “Why bother making healthy lifestyle choices when I’m just gonna end up with the disease anyway?”

In this way, I think genetic screening for Type 2 diabetes may do more harm than good.

The truth is, even if you have 8 people in your family with Type 2 diabetes, that DOES NOT mean you will develop the disease. While you may be more susceptible, you have far more control over your own health than you may realize.

To make this point even more clear I bring your attention to a diabetic study done on twins in Denmark. ³ The study found that while there was a definite predisposition for the development of glucose tolerance, non-genetic factors like lifestyle choices played a far bigger role in determining who actually developed the disease.

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

So, if developing Type 2 diabetes (which by the way has also been called a “lifestyle disease) has more to do with lifestyle choices than it does genetics, what sorts of lifestyle choices should you be making?

• Watch your body fat – especially keep the fat around your midsection down. Central obesity is one of the leading causes of Type 2 diabetes.
• Decrease your consumption of refined carbohydrates – eating high carb meals decreases insulin sensitivity. Make your meals focus on meats, eggs, quality fats (olive oil and avocados) and some fruits and veggies.
• Increase your activity level.
• Quit smoking.
• Manage stress as best you can.
• Get as much quality sleep as possible.

Final Thoughts

While I think genetic testing has it merits in certain instances, I don’t think testing for Type 2 diabetes genes gives us much information that you can use to change the outcome. There are some who may be motivated by avoiding risk, but for many people, this information may disempowering them and lead to feelings of hopelessness.

Diabetes is a complex condition, but science has shown us repeatedly that lifestyle choices play a bigger role in developing Type 2 diabetes than genetics. If you want to prevent and even reverse Type 2 diabetes, make smarter, healthier choices.

Resources:

[1] Muhammad Rizuanul Bari, Carl Johan Östgren, Lennart Råstam & Ulf Lindblad (2006) Abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes in a Swedish community, Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 24:4, 211-217, DOI: 10.1080/02813430601035290

[2] Lyssenko V, Laakso M. Genetic screening for the risk of type 2 diabetes: worthless or valuable?. Diabetes Care. 2013;36 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S120-6.

[3] Poulsen, P., Ohm Kyvik, K., Vaag, A. et al. Diabetologia (1999) 42: 139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001250051131