Exercise may counteract inherited risk for diabetes

According to an article by Harvard Health engaging in regular exercise can act as a protective measure against diabetes, even for individuals with a genetic predisposition to the condition, according to a recent study.

More than 59,000 individuals, all participants in the UK Biobank—a comprehensive database containing genetic, lifestyle, and health data from over half a million people in the United Kingdom—were involved in the study. During the research, participants wore activity trackers on their wrists for a week.

Following a median observation period of nearly seven years, the study revealed that individuals engaging in over an hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily exhibited a 74% reduced risk of developing diabetes compared to those who participated in less than five minutes of physical activity per day, as per the Harvard article. 

That finding was true even among people at high genetic risk for diabetes, who are 2.4 times as likely to get diabetes than people at low genetic risk. The study was published online June 5, 2023, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.