Type 2 Diabetes (Adults and Children)

Type Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood is too high.
Your blood always has some sugar in it, but too much sugar isn’t good for your health.
If your blood sugar level remains high over time, it can cause serious damage to your heart, eyes, kidneys, and feet.
Genetic and lifestyle factors like too little exercise, poor diet and obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes. Risk for developing type 2 diabetes increases with age.

Your polygenic risk score (PRS) is in the top 2%. This means that you may have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes than 98 out of 100 people.

On average, 1 in 10 people, or 10%, will get type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. High risk for type 2 diabetes means that your genetic risk is 3-7 times higher for developing type 2 diabetes compared to a person not in the high risk category.
This result does not mean that you have type 2 diabetes or that you will definitely develop in your lifetime.
This PRS was created using genetic information from large research studies of people with European, Asian, African, and Hispanic/Latino descent. We outline how this score was created below:
- DNA differences in each population were picked up that are linked to type 2 diabetes risk
- This score was tested using genetic information from other research studies with different populations and was accurate
Larger research studies are needed in people of other descents to provide risk ranges for other populations – see the Broad PRS report attached.

Not everyone who is at high risk for type 2 diabetes will get it. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to decrease your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. You can lower your risk by:
- Eating healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains
- Keeping your weight in a healthy range
- Aiming for 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking or bicycling, at least 5 days a week
Your doctor may order a blood or urine test to screen for diabetes. Start diabetes screening at age 45, or earlier if you are overweight and:
- You are African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander
- Your mother, father, sibling or child has type 2 diabetes
- You were diagnosed with hypertension or heart disease
- You have a lab test that shows low HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) or high triglycerides
- You do not exercise often
- You are a woman with
  - Polycystic ovary syndrome
  - A history of gestational diabetes or are pregnant
- Discuss medications and other treatments with your doctor or other healthcare provider.

You should share these results with your doctor(s) or other healthcare provider to discuss
actions to be taken to lower your risk.
You may also want to share your results with your family members.
Your results will be uploaded to your electronic health record for you to review and will be
available to your doctor(s) and other healthcare providers.
If you have any questions about your results, please contact the study team at your
institution. You can find this contact information on the cover page of the GIRA.

Type 2 Diabetes (Adults and Children): Understanding Your Results