Abstract

The interplay of lifestyle and genetic susceptibility in Type 2 diabetes risk

Author(s): Paul W Franks & Dmitry Shungin

Type 2 diabetes results from the complex interplay of adverse lifestyle exposures and genetic predisposition. Accordingly, genetic information might one day facilitate personalized medical interventions for diabetes prevention, thus minimizing treatment costs, reducing patient exposure to ineffective therapies and improving patient adherence to treatment recommendations and their prognosis. Here, we briefly overview the roles that obesity, physical activity and dietary factors play in Type 2 diabetes; define common approaches used to discover genetic risk factors and gene–lifestyle interactions; provide relevant examples of gene–lifestyle interactions; and speculate on the application of genetics to the prediction, prevention and treatment of diabetes.