Changing the odds. What do we learn from prevention studies targeted at people with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes?

Heideman, Wieke H.; Middelkoop, Barend J.C.; Nierkens, Vera; Stronks, Karien; Verhoeff, Arnoud P.; van Esch, Suzanne C.M.; Snoek, Frank J.

doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2011.06.004

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Volume 5, Issue 4 , Pages 215-221, December 2011

Changing the odds. What do we learn from prevention studies targeted at people with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes?

Wieke H. Heideman
- Department of Medical Psychology, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author at: Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Centre, PO Box 7059, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 20 4445682; fax: +31 20 4448230.
Barend J.C. Middelkoop
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
Vera Nierkens
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Karien Stronks
- Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Arnoud P. Verhoeff
- Department of Epidemiology, Documentation and Health Promotion, Amsterdam Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Suzanne C.M. van Esch
- Department of Medical Psychology, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Frank J. Snoek
- Department of Medical Psychology, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Received 1 April 2011; received in revised form 6 June 2011; accepted 6 June 2011. published online 18 July 2011.

Abstract

People with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are at high risk of developing diabetes. We set out to review the literature reporting on the development and/or evaluation of lifestyle interventions specifically aimed at prevention of T2DM in this group.

Targeting people with a positive family history of T2DM seems so far an underutilized prevention strategy. They can and should be approached with the aim to raise risk awareness and promote healthy eating, weight loss and physical activity, thereby reducing their risk of developing diabetes.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Prevention, Family history