Is Type 2 Diabetes Hereditary?

My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. I'm wondering if type 2 diabetes is something that one can be genetically pre-disposed to? Does gender have anything to do with it?

Hi,

 

I came from a family with a history of diabetes and as far as i know, Type 2 diabetes is fairly hereditary in contrast to type 1. Approximately 38% of siblings and one third of children of people with type 2 diabetes will develop diabetes or abnormal glucose metabolism at some point. Development of Type 2 diabetes seems to be multi-factorial...that is, there are a number of issues to blame. Genetic predisposition seems to be the strongest factor. Obesity and high caloric intake seem to be another. Twenty percent of people with this Type 2 Diabetes have antibodies to their islet cells which are detectable in their blood resulting in the expected low levels of insulin, suggesting the possibility of incomplete islet cell destruction

 

hope this helps....

 

Best of Health!!!

amelia.m.sousa@gmail.com:

My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. I'm wondering if type 2 diabetes is something that one can be genetically pre-disposed to? Does gender have anything to do with it?

I definitely agree with health apostle, i had the same case with my family. anyway, it would be best to double check online and offline resources.

 

Thanks!!

I was leaning towards a hereditary connection, but I wasn't entirely sure.

 

As of now it is familial rather than hereditary. It may well be there are genes that confer tendency in the future.

There should have been an "identified" in there but this dang writing is too small to read.

I tend to have high BS readings but do not have diabetes nor indeed any health issues and I am at an advanced stage of life. My maternal grandmother apparently suffered from diabetes but I am certain that my problem of high BS levels is due to diet and as my grandmother was a great baker of scones, cookies, and breads, I would suspect that her diabetes was due to diet. The family connection of diabetes may be due to similar diets.

strbxbabe:

My dad was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes a few years ago. I'm wondering if type 2 diabetes is something that one can be genetically pre-disposed to? Does gender have anything to do with it?

Type 2 diabetes does have an hereditary component to it. The difficulty is that there are many different causes of type 2 diabetes and most of these are unknown at the present time. Things that may indicate you are at increased risk of getting it include diabetes during pregnancy, high triglycerides in the the blood and being overweight. A recent study showed that 15% of people 30-100% overweight who had one or two parents with diabetes had diabetes when tested. Studies suggest that diet and/or exercise can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Periodic fasting blood sugar testing will help detect the problem early. At this point there are no genetic markers that are useful to evaluate your risk. There are studies in progress to see if earlier detection and treatment will prevent the development of diabetes. These results will be available over the next 3-5 years.

 

"I tend to have high BS readings but do not have diabetes..." High blood sugar (glucose) readings is the primary effect of diabetes. "Diabetes mellitus, often referred to simply as diabetes (Ancient Greek: διαβήτης "to pass through [urine]"), is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels "... From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes may have hereditary/genetic factors, but the important thing to know is that both can be well managed by diet and general physical activity. If you have high blood sugars, you have diabetes! The book "The Diabetes Solution" by Richard Bernstein M.D. thoroughly explains how to completely manage diabetes to normalize blood sugar levels, which prevents and can actually reverse many complications. He also explains in a very user-friendly way how a diet high in carbohydrate (sugar is a carbohydrate) can "burn out" the cells that produce insulin and create a Type 2 diabetes condition. I've had Type 1 diabetes for 48 years and last year found a wonderful doctor who prescribed this book and the diet in it. My blood sugars have consistently improved and I've lost almost 30 pounds to boot. Not bad for someone who believed that having diabetes made weight loss almost impossible! Cheers, BB

I just give statement that diabetes type 2 is not always depend on genetic factor but most in my country case was caused by some factor like: obesity, life style, and cancer pancreas.  obesity could insulin reseptor in cell hard work to bonding blood glucose, glucose wich not bond increase in external celluler or blood, or meaning that not balance between reseptor insulin body with glucose result from much eat (obesity). for the thin people that can be caused by disfungtion of pancreas wich alfa and beta cells decrease of capabillity to produce insulin this consequense with increase of age (>40 years old). Most treatment are metformin(for fat people) & sulfonilurea (for thin). metformin increase porductivity of pancreas insulin secretion, sulfonilurea increase capabillity or sensitivity insulin reseptor to binding glucose.