July 20, 2006 -- Research Confirms Gene Variant Increases Diabetes Likelihood

In a report published in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers are confirming that a variant in one gene predisposes people to type 2 diabetes. But the good news, researchers said, is that people at the highest genetic risk benefit as much as or perhaps more than those without the variant from changes in life style, including losing weight, reducing calories in diet, and increasing physical activity. "This finding emphasizes that people at risk of diabetes, whether they’re overweight, have elevated blood glucose levels, or have this particular genetic variant, can benefit greatly by implementing a healthy life style," said lead author Dr. Jose Florez of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The study that found the genetic predisposition to diabetes began in 1995 and was ended a year earlier than planned because the results were so clear, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease in the National Institutes of Health, which sponsored the study. The study population consisted of adults with blood glucose readings higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range and reflected the racial and ethnic diversity typical of the U.S. population.