A UMass Amherst-led study published in Diabetes found that over half of Type 2 diabetes cases could be preventable through lifestyle changes, even for people with high genetic risk.
Key findings from 332,000+ U.K. adults tracked for ~14 years:
- Lifestyle outweighs genetics: People with the least healthy lifestyles were nearly 7x more likely to develop diabetes vs. those with the healthiest habits. High genetic risk only raised risk 2.6x compared to low genetic risk.
- Genetics isn’t destiny: Across all genetic risk levels, healthier lifestyles consistently meant lower diabetes rates. “Even if you’ve lost the genetic lottery,” lifestyle changes still cut risk, says senior author Cassandra Spracklen.
- 55%+ of cases potentially preventable: Researchers estimate that if people with less healthy lifestyles improved their habits, more than 55% of new Type 2 diabetes cases could be avoided.
What counts as a “healthy lifestyle”?
Based on American Heart Association guidelines, the study used 4 factors:
- BMI – had the strongest link to risk
- Smoking status
- Physical activity
- Diet – had the smallest independent effect
People with 3+ healthy factors were considered to have a healthy lifestyle. Only 4% of participants developed Type 2 diabetes during the study.
Takeaway: You can’t change genetics, but “better” choices — not necessarily perfect ones — can reduce risk or delay onset, cutting long-term complications. Results held across sexes and ancestry groups, and applied to adults aged 40-69 in the UK Biobank.