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You may already know that having a family member with type 2 diabetes increases your risk of getting it too. That’s because your genetics — the traits you inherit from your parents — play a large role in your risk for type 2 diabetes.
Your genetics alone aren’t enough to cause type 2 diabetes. Your environment and behavior also play an important role in your risk of developing this condition. This article will help you understand how your genetics and behaviors can affect your chances of getting type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (more commonly referred to as type 2 diabetes) is caused by a combination of genetic factors, behaviors, and environment. In recent decades, there has been a large increase in the number of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. To understand why, researchers have been studying how much genes and environment affect a person’s risk of developing this condition.
Studies show that genes do play an important role in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But genetics alone can’t explain the sharp rise in type 2 diabetes cases. That’s because it takes many generations for a population’s genes to change. Not enough time has passed for genetics to be the main cause of this increase. While your genetics lay the foundation of your risk, behavioral and environmental factors are likely the main cause of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers began to suspect that genetics may influence the risk of type 2 diabetes when they noticed that this condition often runs in families. Several studies show that having a family history of type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Certain racial and ethnic groups also have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, including:
More evidence for a genetic link to type 2 diabetes comes from studies of twins. These studies show that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher in identical twins (who share 100 percent of their genetics) than in nonidentical twins (who share about 50 percent of their genetics).
Some studies have tried to measure how much of the risk of type 2 diabetes comes from changes in someone’s DNA. One study in Scandinavian families found that genetics accounts for 25 percent to 69 percent of a person’s risk. Twin studies suggest that genes explain between 52 percent and 72 percent of a person’s risk for type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is considered a polygenic condition. This means that your risk is determined by variations in several different genes. Researchers use genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to learn which changes in a person’s DNA are connected to type 2 diabetes. Your genome is all the genetic information in your body.
In a GWAS, researchers compare the genome of many people. They look for small differences in the DNA called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). By looking for SNPs that are more common in people with type 2 diabetes, researchers can find genes associated with type 2 diabetes.
Below, we’ll review some of the genes involved in type 2 diabetes risk.
Type 2 diabetes happens when your body doesn’t use or make enough insulin the way it should. Genetic variants in genes that regulate insulin may raise or lower a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes.
One example is the SLC16A11 gene. This gene helps control how the liver processes fats. Certain genetic variants in SLC16A11 can make cells less sensitive to insulin — a condition known as insulin resistance.
Another example is the PAM gene. This gene helps with insulin secretion (release) and the function of beta cells — the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Some genetic variations of the PAM gene can lead to lower insulin levels in the beta cells and impaired insulin release in response to blood glucose (sugar) levels. These changes can increase a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes.
Some genetic variations may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. One example is the SLC30A8 gene. This gene makes a protein that helps store and stabilize insulin in the pancreas. People with certain variations of this gene may be able to release more insulin when blood sugar levels are high (known as hyperglycemia).
Many other genes likely affect a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes. So far, GWAS studies have found more than 500 different genes that may influence the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Being diagnosed with obesity or being overweight are well-known risk factors for type 2 diabetes. A 2024 study found that several obesity-related genes were also linked to type 2 diabetes risk factors, including:
Studying genes related to type 2 diabetes may help predict a person’s lifetime risk of developing the condition. In one 2021 study, researchers used genetic information from large studies to group people into low, intermediate, and high genetic risk categories for developing type 2 diabetes. They found that people in the high-risk group were about twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those in the low-risk group.
Genetic testing isn’t yet used to guide treatment for type 2 diabetes. As researchers learn more about the genetics of type 2 diabetes, healthcare providers may be able to use this information to develop personalized treatment plans.
Your type 2 diabetes risk isn’t all due to genetics. Unhealthy lifestyle habits — such as a poor diet and lack of physical activity — also play a big role. These habits are often passed down from parents to children.
Although you can’t change the genes you were born with, you do have control over many other type 2 diabetes risk factors. If you have prediabetes or early type 2 diabetes, making healthy lifestyle changes may even help you reverse the condition.
Having a high body weight puts you at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. It also increases your risk for other health problems, including:
Research shows that people with obesity are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Keeping a healthy body weight may help lower your risk for type 2 diabetes, even if you have genetic risk factors. It can also help protect you from other serious health conditions.
Weight loss of just 10 to 15 pounds can make a real difference in your health. Talk to your healthcare provider about a weight management program that may help you manage your risks.
Healthy lifestyle habits can help delay type 2 diabetes — even if you have a high genetic risk. Making small, gradual changes can help you build a healthier routine. Some habits to work on include:
Your healthcare provider can help you learn more about healthy lifestyle habits that may help you prevent type 2 diabetes.
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