Polygenic risk scores may predict diabetes onset in adults

An association exists between polygenic risk scores (PRS) and diabetes risk, irrespective of traditional risk factors, according to a study in Japanese general populations.

However, such risk among genetically susceptible individuals may be attenuated with healthy lifestyle habits, “which support the utility of PRS for personalized diabetes risk assessment and prevention strategies,” said the researchers, who conducted a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study using the Shike resident cohort (n=895) and the Toshiba worker cohort (n=7,019), respectively.

Participants were classified based on their genetic risk (low, intermediate, or high) using PRS constructed with genome-wide association study data from East Asian populations. Diabetes was defined based on haemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose, self-reported diagnosis, or medication use.

The research team used multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models to explore the associations of PRS and lifestyle factors with diabetes development.

Higher PRS significantly correlated with a higher risk of diabetes in both cohorts (resident cohort: odds ratio, 4.51, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 2.53‒8.04; worker cohort: hazard ratio, 1.50, 95 percent CI, 1.23‒1.83). This finding persisted across age, BMI, and comorbidities.

Notably, regular exercise, absence of hypertension, and absence of dyslipidaemia were all associated with a reduced diabetes risk, particularly in those with high PRS.

“The addition of PRS to conventional prediction models improved the discrimination of diabetes risk,” the researchers said.