A meta-analysis of six studies from around the world, involving 75,498 couples, has found that a spouse had a 26% greater risk of developing diabetes if the other had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
http://www.futurity.org/spouse-diabetes-raises-partners-risk/
Analysis of insulin-producing cells has revealed that those with type 2 diabetes have epigenetic changes in approximately 800 genes, with altered gene expression in over 100 genes (many of them relating to insulin production).
Epigenetic changes occur as a result of factors including environment and lifestyle, and are reversible. A number of these changes were also found in place in healthy subjects as a result of age or high BMI, suggesting these changes could contribute to the development of the disease
Type 2 diabetes greatly increases a person's risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but a new study shows that cardiovascular risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels differ significantly between men and women with diabetes.
The study, involving 680 diabetics, found that blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in women, and women were significantly less likely to have these factors under control. Some 17% of men had control of these factors, compared to 6% of women.
Here are some nut studies that link to benefits in connection with diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation. However, it should be noted that they are often very small, and usually funded by nut organizations. I wouldn't put too much weight on such.
A 3-month study involving 117 older adults (mean age 62) with diabetes found that 75g of nuts (½ a cup) a day, as a replacement for carbohydrate foods, can improve glycemic control and blood lipids in those with type 2 diabetes.
The nuts used were a mixed lot of tree nuts (almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamias and walnuts) and peanuts. improved blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels in individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/mp-itn052218.php
Jenkins, D.J.A., C.W.C. Kendall, B. Lamarche, M.S. Banach, K. Srichaikul, E. Vidgen, S. Mitchell, T. Parker, S. Nishi, B. Bashyam, R. de Souza, C. Ireland, S.C. Pichika, J. Beyene, J.L. Sievenpiper, R.G. Josse, 2018. Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet: a reanalysis of a randomised controlled trial. Diabetologia https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4628-9
A very small 4-week study involving 26 overweight and obese adults (average age 59) found that those given a diet with pecans substituted for 15% of the total calories significantly improved insulin sensitivity and had a significant effect on markers of cardiometabolic disease.
Both the control diet and the pecan-rich diet were low in fruits, vegetables and fiber.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/kc-n-eph032218.php
The study entitled "A Pecan-Rich Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial" is available online and was presented at the American Society for Nutrition Annual Conference, Nutrition 2018 held in Boston in June.
A review of 29 studies involving some 819,000 participants has concluded that people who eat at least 20g of nuts (a handful) a day have a 30% lower risk of heart disease, as well as lower risks of cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
The study included all kinds of tree nuts, and also peanuts. The results were in general similar. There was little evidence of further improvement in health outcomes as a result of eating more than 20g of nuts.
Nuts and peanuts are high in fibre, magnesium, and polyunsaturated fats. Some nuts, particularly walnuts and pecan nuts are also high in antioxidants.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/icl-aho120216.php
McKay, D. L., Eliasziw, M., Chen, C. Y. O., & Blumberg, J. B. (2018). A Pecan-Rich Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 10(3), 339. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/10/3/339
Data from 5,013 men and women participating in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study has revealed that higher nut intake (5 or more times per week) was associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin 6 (IL6)).
Research has also shown that nut consumption may be inversely related to body mass index (BMI), which is a strong determinant of inflammatory biomarkers, so it may be that the associations between nut intake and inflammatory markers are mediated in part through BMI.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/mp-itn072716.php
Yu, Z., Malik, V. S., Keum, N., Hu, F. B., Giovannucci, E. L., Stampfer, M. J., … Bao, Y. (2016). Associations between nut consumption and inflammatory biomarkers. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 104(3), 722-728. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/104/3/722/4564733
Preliminary studies have demonstrated that grape skin extract exerts a novel inhibitory activity on hyperglycemia and could be developed to aid in diabetes management.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/wsu--gse050814.php
Data from a survey of 20,000 people across the UK has found that people who cycle, walk, or take public transport to work had a lower risk of being overweight than those who drove or took a taxi. People who walked to work were 40% less likely to have diabetes than those who drove and 17% less likely to have high blood pressure. Cyclists were around half as likely to have diabetes as drivers.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-08/icl-wtw080513.php
A study involving 614 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 62) has found that longer duration of diabetes was associated with more brain volume loss, particularly in the gray matter. Roughly, for every 10 years of diabetes, the brain was similar to that of a non-diabetic person who was two years older.
However, the study did not confirm any association of diabetes characteristics with small vessel ischemic disease.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-04/rson-dda042214.php
A 2-year trial involving 59 patients with type 2 diabetes has found that those on a low-carbohydrate diet showed lower levels of inflammation compared with those on a traditional low-fat diet. Weight loss was similar in both groups.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/lu-ldr050814.php