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Genetics and Type 2 Diabetes

Key takeaways:
~ Common genetic variants impact your susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.
~ Understanding which genetic variants you carry can show you which pathways are likely to be most important for you.
~ Targeting the right pathway may help you to prevent or reverse pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Genes and Diabetes:

Not all of your type 2 diabetes risk is from what you eat…Genetics plays a big role in diabetes. Studies on twins show that the genetic component of type 2 diabetes is estimated to be between 46-70%.[ref] Thus, genetic susceptibility plays a big role when combined with incorrect dietary choices.

Diabetes is a term applied when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, or you inappropriately respond to foods. Your body regulates blood glucose levels through the release of insulin.

With diabetes, your body can be resistant to the effects of insulin — or — you may not produce enough insulin.

How can you use this information?

Just as there are multiple ways to have high blood glucose levels, there are multiple genetic variants that cause increased susceptibility to diabetes.

By knowing which genetic variants you carry, you can know which pathways are likely to be causing your high blood glucose levels. This can help you personalize your approach to either managing or reversing your type 2 diabetes.

If you don’t have diabetes, understanding your genetic susceptibility can help you target the right pathways for preventing elevated blood glucose levels. If you know where your genetic weakness lies, you can target that pathway to get the most benefit.


Diabetes Genotype Report:

This genotype report shows you your genotype for the variants along with the specific interventions that research shows are beneficial.

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About the Author:
Debbie Moon is the founder of Genetic Lifehacks. Fascinated by the connections between genes, diet, and health, her goal is to help you understand how to apply genetics to your diet and lifestyle decisions. Debbie has a BS in engineering from Colorado School of Mines and an MSc in biological sciences from Clemson University. Debbie combines an engineering mindset with a biological systems approach to help you understand how genetic differences impact your optimal health.