Changes in food choices and dietary patterns during the lifestyle intervention and their association with type 2 diabetes risk in participants with high or low genetic risk for type 2 diabetes

To investigate how a group-based lifestyle intervention affects food choices and if the dietary patterns at the end of the intervention are associated with incidence type 2 diabetes (T2D). We also investigated if the possible associations between diet and T2D risk were modified by the genetic risk for T2D. Participants in the T2D-GENE study were men with prediabetes aged 50-75 years, body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2, belonging in either low or high genetic risk score (GRS) tertile for T2D. They participated in a 3 year, group-based T2D-GENE lifestyle study (either an intervention or a control arm). Food consumption was measured with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) at baseline and at year 3. We included in our study all the T2D-GENE participants who had FFQ available at year 3 (n = 883). To diagnose T2D we used the following criteria, fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l, 2 h plasma glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/l, or HbA1C ≥ 48 mmol/mol ( ≥ 6.5%). The GRS was based on 76 genetic variants associated with T2D. There were statistically significant changes towards more recommended food consumption (higher frequency of whole-grain products, vegetables, and non-tropical vegetable oils) in the participants receiving lifestyle counselling as compared to their baseline and to the population controls. The intervention group reported increased consumption of healthy dietary pattern (high in e.g. vegetables, whole-grain products, and fish) and decreased consumption of unhealthy (high in e.g. meat, sausages and low-fibre products) at year three as compared to baseline. End-of-intervention healthy dietary pattern was associated with a decrease in the risk of T2D (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.46; 0.97 in multivariable model) and end-of-intervention unhealthy pattern with increased risk (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.26; 2.62 in multivariable model). When stratified by the GRS, the associations remained significant for the high genetic risk group. A group-based lifestyle intervention improved diet quality. Healthy dietary pattern associated with lower risk for T2D whereas unhealthy pattern associated with higher risk. After stratification by the GRS, associations were evident in participants with a high genetic risk for T2D.