Genetic risk for type 2 diabetes can be overcome through a healthy lifestyle Healthy diet and regular exercise reduced the risk of diabetes by 70% in a group with high genetic risk Healthy lifestyle contributed to lower weight and better blood sugar control, regardless of genetic risk FRIDAY, Aug. 9, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Folks can overcome their genetic risk for type 2 diabetes through healthy diet and regular exercise, a new study says. A healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of by 70% among a group of people with a high genetic likelihood of developing the metabolic disorder, researchers found.
In fact, healthy behaviors had a greater impact on their risk than it did for people with a low genetic propensity for type 2 diabetes, results showed. A healthy diet and exercise had a statistically insignificant impact on the diabetes risk of those with low-risk genetics, researchers found. Nevertheless, “these findings encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health,” said lead researcher , a lecturer in nutrition with the University of Eastern Finland.
That’s because all participants tended to achieve better blood sugar control and lost weight if they engaged in a healthy lifestyle, researchers said. The three-year study involved nearly 1,000 men ages 50 to 75 in eastern Finland. More than 600 of the men received guidance on healthy lifestyle, while the rest served as a control group.
Genetic risk was determined based on 76 gene variants known to increase .