Combined associations of family history and self-management with age at diagnosis and cardiometabolic risk in 86,931 patients with type 2 diabetes: Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register from 11 countries

Abstract Background Family history (FamH) of type 2 diabetes might indicate shared genotypes, environments, and/or behaviors. We hypothesize that FamH interacts with unhealthy behaviors to increase the risk of early onset of diabetes and poor cardiometabolic control. Methods In a cross-sectional analysis of the prospective Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation Register including patients from 427 clinics in 11 Asian countries/regions in 2007–2021, we defined positive FamH as affected parents/siblings and self-management as (1) healthy lifestyles (balanced diet, non-use of alcohol and tobacco, regular physical activity) and (2) regular self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). Results Among 86,931 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean±SD age: 56.6±11.6 years; age at diagnosis of diabetes: 49.8±10.5 years), the prevalence of FamH ranged from 39.1% to 85.3% in different areas with FamH affecting mother being most common (32.5%). The FamH group (n=51,705; 59.5%) was diagnosed 4.6 years earlier than the non-FamH group [mean (95% CI): 47.9 (47.8–48.0) vs. 52.5 (52.4–52.6), logrank p<0.001]. In the FamH group, patients with both parents affected had the earliest age at diagnosis [44.6 (44.5–44.8)], followed by affected single parent [47.7 (47.6–47.8)] and affected siblings only [51.5 (51.3–51.7), logrank p<0.001]. The FamH plus ≥2 healthy lifestyle group had similar age at diagnosis [48.2 (48.1–48.3)] as the non-FamH plus <2 healthy lifestyle group [50.1 (49.8–50.5)]. The FamH group with affected parents had higher odds of hyperglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than the FamH group with affected siblings, with the lowest odds in the non-FamH group. Self-management (healthy lifestyles plus SMBG) was associated with higher odds of attaining HbA1c<7%, blood pressure<130/80mmHg, and LDL-C