414 | id == 414
414 | category_id == 25
414 | category_order == 22
414 | category_name == Blood Sugar
414 | category_color == #C47AC0
414 | slug == SCN2A-blood-sugar
414 | title == A Cognitive Development Gene in Diabetes (SCN2A)
414 | meta_description == SCN2A is usually studied for its effect on cognitive function, but can it cause high blood sugar and diabetes?
414 | summary == <p><strong><em>SCN2A </em>is usually studied for its effect on cognitive function, but can it cause high blood sugar and diabetes? Read on to learn more.</strong></p>
414 | overall_score_text == Your Blood Sugar Score (based on SCN2A)
414 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/SCN2A-Blood-Sugar-Diabetes.jpg
414 | author_id == 1
414 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
414 | author_title == BSc, BEd
414 | author_order == 36
414 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
414 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
414 | reviewer == None
414 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
414 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
414 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
414 | publish_date == 2020
414 | publish_date == 10
414 | publish_date == 15
414 | avg_rating == 5.0
414 | tags_id == 801
414 | tags_name == Blood Sugar
414 | tags_id == 635
414 | tags_name == Coenzyme Q10
414 | tags_id == 127
414 | tags_name == Diabetes Type 2
414 | tags_id == 139
414 | tags_name == Insulin
414 | tags_id == 116
414 | tags_name == Insulin Resistance
414 | tags_id == 833
414 | tags_name == SCN2A Gene
414 | permissions_favorite == False
414 | permissions_rate == False
414 | content_article == <h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a protein that helps brain cells send signals. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may play a role in diabetes by allowing excessive production or release of insulin. Diet and supplement modifications may counteract the downstream effects of this gene.</span></p> <h2><strong><em>SCN2A</em></strong><strong> and Blood Sugar</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/scn2a/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes a protein (the &alpha;2 subunit of voltage-gated type II sodium channels) that helps neurons fire and send signals throughout the brain [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692714/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If this gene is more active, it results in more firing between important brain regions involved in higher cognitive function. This results in better informational processing. Thus, it is much more frequently studied in the context of intelligence than metabolism [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692714/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mutations in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">are implicated in disorders such as autism and schizophrenia [</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692714/#R13"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rsquo;s relationship to sugar metabolism is not as well studied as its role in the brain. However, at least two variants in this gene have been associated with blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30718926/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30054458/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ion channels, such as the one encoded by </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, are often implicated in diabetes. Mutations in these extremely important structures can lead to excessive production or release of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which can in turn contribute to </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/top-tips-for-fixing-insulin-resistance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin resistance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and high blood sugar [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566632/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a protein that helps neurons fire in the brain. It is mostly studied for its role in cognitive function, but some genetic variants may lead to overproduction of insulin.</span></span></p> <h2><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>SCN2A</em></strong><strong> Results for Blood Sugar</strong></h2> <p>*1779540546927709*</p> <p><strong>SCN2A </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs10195252/"><strong>rs10195252</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher blood sugar</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower blood sugar</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>SCN2A </strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs13389219/"><strong>rs13389219</strong></a></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher blood sugar</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower blood sugar</span></li> </ul> <p>*1625490176831128*</p> <h2><strong>Recommendations for Controlling Blood Sugar</strong></h2> <p>*5694116529182063*</p> <h3><strong>Ketogenic Diet</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ketogenic-diet-ketosis-health-benefits-physiology-genetics/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ketogenic diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, in which less than 10% of calories is derived from carbohydrates, is sometimes used in treatment plans for people with serious </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">mutations that cause seizures [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30415926/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A ketogenic diet can help lower blood sugar and improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. The low-carbohydrate diet had a more favorable outcome than a low-fat diet in people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22673594"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5048014/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6734060/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5329646/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19082851?dopt=Abstract&amp;holding=npg"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a clinical trial on obese, diabetic patients, a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet was as effective at improving blood sugar control as a low-fat diet combined with the antidiabetic drug orlistat [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20101008"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ketogenic diets are sometimes used to help control </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">-related seizures. These diets have also been found to help people control their diabetes.</span></span></p> <h3><strong>Coenzyme Q10</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mutations in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and related genes have been associated with reduced levels of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/coenzyme-q10-ubiquinol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">coenzyme Q10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/coenzyme-q10-ubiquinol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CoQ10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5807419/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27374853/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17412732"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A meta-analysis of 18 studies on healthy people found that CoQ10 reduced blood sugar in those with both high and normal levels with doses below 200 mg/day and in studies no longer than 12 weeks [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28381349/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another analysis of 14 studies on overweight and obese people with diabetes found that CoQ10 reduced blood sugar (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/intermittent-fasting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fasting</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/hba1c-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">HbA1c</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) and insulin levels in doses below 200 mg/day [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6276825/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mutations in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SCN2A</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> may lead to reduced CoQ10, while supplemental CoQ10 may help reduce blood sugar.</span></span></p>
414 | content_snp_table_1779540546927709_key == 1779540546927709
414 | content_snp_table_1779540546927709_blur == True
414 | content_snp_table_1779540546927709_hidden == False
414 | content_learn_more_1625490176831128_key == 1625490176831128
414 | content_learn_more_1625490176831128_blur == True
414 | content_learn_more_1625490176831128_hidden == False
414 | content_learn_more_1625490176831128_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your SCN2A gene is significantly associated with high blood sugar. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of diabetes; it’s just one gene related to it. A ketogenic diet and coenzyme Q10 may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
414 | content_recommendation_5694116529182063_key == 5694116529182063
414 | content_recommendation_5694116529182063_blur == True
414 | content_recommendation_5694116529182063_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs10195252,rs13389219
rsStatus = rs10195252,,chr2,164656581,T,C,,,10,14,HET
rsStatus = rs13389219,COBLL1,chr2,164672366,C,T,,,23,8,HET
