Evolution Episode XII: The Rise of Lifestyle Disease

    As modernization of civilization has occurred, diseases that did not exist before seem to be appearing. One of those diseases of civilization include an increase prevalence of diabetes. There are different types of diabetes, but the generalized issue resides in the production or response to insulin which results in unregulated blood glucose levels. According to the University of California, Berkeley, this epidemic is due to the Western lifestyle of eating unhealthy foods, less activity, and longer lives (para. 1). This indicates our struggle in evolution between what our ancestors used to survive and passing down those genes and then our modern culture completely switching the gears on what we need to do in order to survive. Essentially, our daily lives contradict the genes from our predecessors. Then comes the question: How did this happen?

    As with many diseases, the simple answer is genetics. The Berkeley article illustrated by tracking the gene that encodes for diabetes risk, which is hypothesized to start in the Neanderthal lineage and then was introduced to the human population through inbreeding in Europe and Middle East (para. 6). To better visualize this, there is a diagram below.

Image Source: https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evo-news/the-deep-roots-of-diabetes/

    However, this data doesn't necessarily mean that Neanderthals had diabetes, it is more of a discrepancy between the genes and lifestyle (Berkeley, para. 9). Although we have hypothesized on the origin of diabetes, we still have not explored as to why diabetes could have evolved. In as study analyzed by Stanford University School of Medicine, they looked into evolution and the increase risk in type-1 diabetes. In the study, they believe that the development of diabetes could have an advantage in protecting against viruses and bacteria (Stanford, para. 3). There are more specifics to be discovered, but as to the why on inheritance of these disease causing genes we may have lead. Overall, diabetes is a complicated epidemic that impacts millions of individuals, but has only emerged in modern times due to the mismatch of lifestyle and genetics.

Sources:

https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evo-news/the-deep-roots-of-diabetes/

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2010/08/evolution-may-have-pushed-humans-toward-greater-risk-for-type-1-diabetes-study-shows.html