A study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggests that over 55% of new Type 2 diabetes cases could theoretically be prevented through healthier lifestyle behaviors— even among people with a strong genetic predisposition to the condition.
Researchers found that Individuals with the least healthy lifestyles were nearly seven times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those with the healthiest habits. By comparison, those with the highest genetic risk were 2.6 times more likely to develop the disease than those with the lowest genetic risk.
Among the lifestyle factors studied, body mass index (BMI) showed the strongest association with diabetes risk, followed by smoking and physical activity. Researchers noted that even modest improvements in lifestyle behaviors during adulthood can help lower diabetes risk and potentially delay the onset of complications associated with the disease.
“You cannot change your genetics,” says senior author Cassandra Spracklen of UMass Amherst. “But even making improvements as an adult — not necessarily perfect changes, but better ones — can still reduce risk.”