Man with glucose meter (symbolic photo).
Lifestyle is more important for the development of diabetes than any genetic predisposition. US researchers have proven this using data from around 330,000 people from Great Britain. The scientists conclude that half of the cases of diabetes are preventable.
July 7, 2026, 12:50 p.mJuly 7, 2026, 12:50 p.m
“Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is caused by the interaction of genetic predisposition and an unhealthy lifestyle, the combined effects of which have not yet been sufficiently researched,” wrote Cassandra Spracklen from the University of Massachusetts and her co-authors in “Diabetes”. They investigated whether unhealthy, modifiable behaviors are associated with a similar increased risk of developing T2D in people with different genetic risks.
Long-term data evaluated
The research team evaluated the long-term data of 332,251 people whose health data is recorded in the British “Biobank”. They were on average 55 years old at baseline and did not have type 2 diabetes. The participants’ blood was also examined for genetic changes that could mean an increased risk of this form of diabetes, which accounts for around 90 percent of cases.
One third of the test subjects were then divided into a group with high, medium or low genetic risk. The same was done taking into account lifestyle factors: smoking, weight (BMI), physical activity and diet. During the total observation period of an average of 13.6 years, four percent of the test subjects were diagnosed with new-onset diabetes.
The results were clear: a high genetic risk versus a low genetic risk for type 2 diabetes led to a 2.58-fold greater frequency of developing it. But the “environment” in the form of lifestyle factors was – taken alone – much more important: a body weight in the upper third of the test subjects resulted in a 6.83-fold greater risk of diabetes compared to the weight in the lower third.
The impact of an unhealthy lifestyle and a higher genetic risk was even greater. Low genetic risk and an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in a 7.11-fold greater incidence of diabetes compared to low genetic risk and a healthy lifestyle. Genetic changes associated with a strong tendency to type 2 diabetes, plus an unhealthy lifestyle, resulted in a 17.33-fold increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
In principle easy to influence
According to the research team, the relationship between lifestyle and genetics in favoring the development of type 2 diabetes is likely to be 55 to 45 percent. This means that the “environment” is more important than anything else and could, in principle, be easily influenced.
“Overall, our analyzes support the assumption that although genetics plays an important role in the risk of developing T2D, lifestyle factors play a much larger role, particularly body mass index (BMI),” the researchers wrote.
Additionally, their research could have shown that individuals with any level of genetic risk can significantly reduce their risk of the disease through modifiable, healthy lifestyle habits. (sda/apa)