From yahoo.com
When it comes to lowering your risk of diabetes, there are a lot of things within your control, like cutting down on sugary treats and walking more. But one thing you can’t control is what’s in your DNA. And through no fault of your own, you could already be at a higher risk because a relative had it. But is diabetes a genetic disease? Read on to find out.
Diabetes: Understanding the genetic link
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 38.4 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. The condition causes your glucose, or blood sugar levels, to be higher than normal. Diabetes occurs when your body can’t produce or effectively use its own insulin, a hormone made by your pancreas. Insulin helps control your glucose and shuttles blood sugar into cells for energy.
Do you or someone in your family have diabetes?
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is when your pancreas makes very little or no insulin. It is a chronic, autoimmune illness and requires those who have this kind of diabetes to take insulin every day.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, occurs when your insulin production is reduced or your body is unable to use insulin the way it needs to. This type of diabetes is typically associated with an unhealthy diet and/or being overweight or obese.
But is diabetes a genetic disease? The short answer is yes. “Type 2 diabetes is hereditary, but it is much more complex than what people often think about when it comes to genetic diseases,” says Jordan J. Wright, MD, Ph.D., an endocrinologist and an assistant professor of medicine in the division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.
“Some genetic diseases are caused by a single gene, so it is easy to know someone’s risk based on whether they have that gene,” explains Dr. Wright. “However, type 2 diabetes is caused by a complex interaction between hundreds of genes and many environmental factors, such as a poor diet or a lack of physical exercise.”
Dr. Wright says while it’s still not completely understood how the genes involved work, “we know that each of them contributes a very small amount to the risk that someone will develop diabetes.”
What are the risk factors for diabetes?
The more people with diabetes in your family, and the closer they’re related to you, the higher your risk, says Dr. Wright. “For example, if you have one parent with type 2 diabetes, your risk is about 40 percent. If you have two parents with type 2, your risk is about 70 percent,” he says.
Similarly, if you have a sibling with type 2 diabetes, your risk is estimated to be 20 to 30 percent. But if you have an identical twin with it, your risk is closer to 70 percent, adds Dr. Wright.
There’s also a genetic link to type 1 diabetes, but the likelihood of inheriting it is lower than type 2. “The risk of someone whose mother has type 1 is 1 to 4 percent, if their father has type 1 it’s 3.8 percent and if both parents have type 1, it’s up to 30 percent,” says endocrinologist Ruth Weinstock, MD, Ph.D, a professor of medicine and the Division Chief of Endocrine, Diabetes and Metabolism at SUNY Upstate Medical University’s Joslin Diabetes Center in Syracuse, NY.
How to reduce your genetic risk of diabetes: expert tips
If you have a genetic predisposition to diabetes, it’s important to know that there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. Here are four expert-recommended tips if you have a family history of diabetes.
Focus on fibre
He recommends eating more non-starchy veggies such as leafy greens (kale, spinach, mustard greens), broccoli, green beans and lean proteins including chicken, turkey, eggs and fish (such as salmon, tuna and tilapia).
According to the American Diabetes Association, other foods that may prevent diabetes (and are just plain good for you anyway) include whole grains (brown rice, quinoa and oats), beans, nuts, milk, yogurt and fruits such as bananas, berries, apples and citrus fruits.
Try to shed those extra pounds
Being overweight or obese can increase insulin resistance, which is when your body isn’t able to effectively respond to insulin. When insulin isn’t working the way it should, blood glucose levels can rise. People with insulin resistance have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The good news? Losing weight can have a drastic effect on diabetes, says Dr. Wright. He cites one study in Diabetes Care, which found there was a 16 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes for every 1 kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of weight loss among those at the highest risk of diabetes.
Tip: We know that losing weight is often easier said than done. Not sure where to get started? Check out our best weight loss advice here.
Walk a little more
A multitude of studies have shown regular exercise improves blood sugar control and can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes (even when there’s a genetic component to the condition).
Adding some more movement can be as simple as squeezing in extra steps throughout the day. “People shouldn't feel overwhelmed thinking they need to drastically increase their exercise. You can start by walking more each day, aiming to get up to 30 minutes a day,” says Dr. Wright.
Walking has been shown to be particularly beneficial for cutting diabetes risk. According to a study in the World Journal of Diabetes, walking for at least 30 minutes a day has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by approximately 50 percent.
Picking up your pace can further help slash your diabetes risk. One study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that when compared to strolling, walking at faster speeds of 2 to 3 miles an hour was associated with a 15 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. And more brisk walking of 3 to 4 miles per hour was associated with a 24 percent lower risk.
Schedule a physical
Type 2 diabetes symptoms can often go unnoticed because it can take years for them to develop. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms (what’s known as a “silent disease”). And some don’t find out they have the disease until they experience other health-related issues, such as blurred vision or heart problems.
This is why staying on top of your health with regular check-ups is key, especially since the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increases with age, points out Dr. Weinstock. “These check-ups can include ordering screening for diabetes through blood tests, such as a fasting blood glucose test and/or an A1C test,” she says.
You’ll also want to keep track of your blood pressure and lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) numbers. “The presence of hypertension and abnormal lipid levels also increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other diabetes-related complications including kidney disease,” adds Dr. Weinstock.
Visit your eye doctor
It’s also a good idea to get your eyes checked at least once a year. Why? High blood sugar can affect your vision (and even lead to vision loss) by damaging the small blood vessels at the back of your eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This damage can occur even before there’s a change in your vision, and in some cases, an eye doctor may be the first one to detect diabetes through a dilated eye exam. “They can recognize if you may have diabetes by detecting diabetes-related eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and macular edema,” says Dr. Weinstock. “Early detection and timely treatment of diabetic eye disease can preserve vision and prevent blindness.”
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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