Wondering is diabetes hereditary? Find out how the disease affects family members.
Is diabetes hereditary, and if so, could it affect you and your children? When a person is diagnosed with diabetes they often wonder how the disease developed and what they can do to decrease the progression of the disease. These are appropriate concerns for anyone who has a disease that can affect their quality of life. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with appropriate dietary and weight goals are things that a diabetic can do to keep their disease under control.
Is diabetes a genetic disease? Yes, but the causes for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are different, although both types are expressed by two conditions that can manifest the disease. These two factors that promote the expression of diabetes are genetic factors and environment. Just like other autoimmune diseases, the patient may have a genetic predisposition to the disease and then something in the immediate environment triggers the expression of the disease. So if you are wondering is diabetes hereditary, the answer in some cases is yes.
Another question you may be asking about the disease is, “How is diabetes inherited?” If you have a parent with Type 1 diabetes you are at an increased risk of developing the disease. If both parents have the disease you are at double the risk. Risk factors can also be determined by the age of the mother when she gave birth to her child, and other autoimmune syndrome factors. Genetic risk factors of developing Type 1 diabetes involve HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4 genes and also the HLADR3/4-3Q8 genotype. Among African-Americans the HLA-DR7 genotype is involved, and among Japanese individuals it is the HLA-DR9 gene. These genetic factors have helped researchers and scientists answer the question “How is diabetes inherited?”
Is diabetes a genetic disease? When both parents have Type 2 diabetes their children are at a 50% risk of developing the disease. The complexities involved in developing the disease can be reduced by a proper lifestyle of dietary restrictions, exercise and weight control. Type 2diabetes is linked to genetic mutations that can be affected by each other or by the environment. Having these genetic mutations does not mean that an individual will definitely develop the disease; it simply means that they are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. So is Type 2 diabetes a genetic disease? An individual is more at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes when they have more genetic mutations that affects glucose levels, such as:
- The production and regulation of insulin
- The production of glucose
- How the body responds to glucose levels
The question “Is diabetes hereditary?” depends on gene mutations that raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes that involve these genes:
- ABCC8, which aids in the regulation of insulin.
- GLUT2, which aids in the movement of glucose into the pancreas.
- TCF7L2, which affects glucose production and insulin secretion.
- GCGR, which is involved in glucose production.
- CAPN10, which is a Type 2 diabetes risk for Mexican-Americans.
Obesity is a leading environmental risk factor in developing Type 2 diabetes, whether your family has the disease or not. About 40% of persons with Type 2 diabetes are obese and have obesity in their family. Being overweight is one of the factors that can increase the genetic risk of developing the disease. Therefore it is important to maintain a healthy weight to reduce the chances of being diagnosed with the disease. A sedentary lifestyle also increases the hereditary risk of the disease as does high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Other risk factors include polycystic ovarian syndrome, depression and advanced age with a baseline of 45 years old and older.
Is diabetes hereditary? Yes it is, but with the proper lifestyle you may reduce your risk of developing certain types of the disease. If you already have the disease, a healthy lifestyle can help you manage symptoms and lessen the progression of the disease. Learn more at www.BetterHealthKare.com
