Gene testing for diabetes risk is not useful

Genetic testing can yield some information about one's risk for various diseases. But when it comes to the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, undergoing gene testing is not significantly better than an assessment based on traditional risk factors for the disease, such as weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study showed that gene testing can reveal risk-associated gene variants, and the more you inherit, the greater the chance for developing the disease. But for now, a standard checkup will "tell what you need to know about your Type 2 diabetes risk," said the lead author of the study, Dr. James Meigs of Massachusetts General Hospital.

The researchers analyzed records from the Framingham Offspring Study, which follows a group of adult children of participants of the original Framingham study. The database included more than 2,700 participants, with 255 of them developing Type 2 diabetes after 28 years of follow-up.

It's possible that as more genes associated with Type 2 diabetes are discovered, the value of gene testing may become more useful. But, for now, old-fashioned methods of predicting risk are just as good. Still, gene testing may turn out to be a good thing to do, says Meigs, if it makes some patients more willing to change their lifestyles to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

-- Shari Roan

Photo: A plate containing samples of DNA for testing. Credit: Elise Amendola / AP

Comments

[Evelyn Guzman]

It's good to know that the use of the traditional risk factors is a better way to evaluate one's chances of developing diabetes than having to go through gene testing. Not only does gene testing take longer but also it is an expensive proposition. This means everyone should heed those risk factors.

Evelyn Guzman
Free Diabetes
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