Chennai: People with higher genetic risk had higher cholesterol than those with lower risk only when their diets were poor, a city-based study has shown. Among those with better-quality diets, the gap was not statistically significant.
The findings, based on a study of 1,020 adults published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, suggest that what people eat may influence how inherited susceptibility is reflected in their cholesterol levels.
“It shows our genes need not determine our metabolic destiny,” said Madras Diabetes Research Foundation chairperson Dr V Mohan. “By changing what is on the plate, people can keep cholesterol levels under control despite high genetic predisposition,” he said. Within the lowest diet-quality group, participants with higher genetic risk had significantly higher total cholesterol and LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, than those with lower genetic risk. That difference was not statistically significant in either the medium- or high-quality diet group, said the study’s first author Manahil M Bineid from the University of Reading. The researchers said the study has its limitations as it is cross-sectional and has no long-term follow-up. “Nevertheless, what is clear is that a better diet may help change bad genetics,” Dr Mohan said.
The study also relied on participants recalling what they ate, which can introduce errors, and its genetic score covered only three variants. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in Chennai
Researchers from Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and University of Reading in the UK analysed data from 452 men and 568 women, aged 25 to 80, as a part of the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES).
They examined three genetic variants in two genes — TCF7L2 and FTO — previously associated with diabetes and other metabolic traits.