Dr. Michael Snyder

So he predicted I was high risk for diabetes.

But I didn't become diabetic until after a viral infection.

It's a very strong correlation.

Because I measure myself a lot, I figured this out.

It's respiratory syncytial virus, which actually, you know, it's not that common in adults.

It's more common now.

But anyway, I was literally in bed, which is a little unusual for me.

And I got a very high temperature.

And I wound up several weeks later becoming diabetic.

It's very fascinating because we actually looked at the modification of my DNA.

It's called DNA methylation.

It actually shifted in something like 100 metabolic genes in their control regions called the promoters.

And so...

The thought is that I was genetically at risk and then in combination with this viral infection, it's environmental, that's what triggered my diabetes.

Now, I don't think that's true of most people.

We're tracking people, I may have mentioned.

In the first part of the study, we saw nine people become diabetic as we've been tracking them.

And seven gradually became diabetic.

So it was accumulation of something.

But two people, one of which was me, something triggered it, meaning it kind of got there and stayed.