Non-diabetic relatives of Type 2 diabetic families: dietary intake contributes to the increased risk of diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
Non-diabetic first degree relatives of Type 2 diabetic patients are at increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This is assumed to reflect a shared genetic predisposition. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that lifestyle factors, specifically dietary factors, are also important to the increased risk in non-diabetic relatives.


METHODS
Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire in 149 non-diabetic first degree relatives (age 20-65 years) from families of North European extraction with two or more living Type 2 diabetic family members, and 143 age- and sex-matched control subjects from the background population with no family history of diabetes.


RESULTS
Relatives reported higher absolute intakes of total fat (mean (95% confidence intervals) 83 (76-91) vs. 71 (66-76) g/day, P = 0.01), saturated fat (SFA; 39 (36-43) vs. 33 (30-36) g/day, P < 0.01) and cholesterol (391 (354-427) vs. 318 (287-349) mg/day, P < 0.01), and a lower intake of non-starch polysaccharide (P < 0.05). Considered as percentage of total daily energy intake, relatives had higher intakes of total fat (P < 0.01) and SFA (P < 0.02), and a lower intake of carbohydrate (P < 0.02). These differences remained after exclusion of suspected under- and over-reporters of dietary intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-diabetic relatives of Type 2 diabetic patients were found to consume diets that will promote rather than prevent the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This suggests that the increased risk to non-diabetic relatives is therefore not entirely genetic, and there is scope for decreasing the risk through lifestyle modification.
Adamson
A J
AJ
Human Nutrition Research Centre and School of Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, UK. A.J.Adamson@ncl.ac.uk
Foster
E
E
Butler
T J
TJ
Bennet
S
S
Walker
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D004739:England; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005190:Family; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires