Importance of Family History of Diabetes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

The patients with type 2 DM with both diabetic parents are 9.9 years younger than those without family history of diabetes. 

Genetic factors are important determinants of type 2 diabetes mellitus but the role of heredity has been difficult to establish because to the interplay environmental factors. Therefore, the influence of inheritance varies among populations.

We carried out a cross-sectional study in a group of 300 patients (80 men and 220 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The patients answered a questionnaire by verbal questioning, we collected the clinical characteristic of diabetes and family history in the preceding generation, and first and second degree relatives.

We divided the groups according to family history of type 2 DM as follow: group 1, without family history of DM; group 2, father with DM; group 3, mother with DM; and group 4, both parents with DM. We evaluated the metabolic control with blood glucose and HbA1c, insulin, albuminury, plasma creatinine, total cholesterol, triclyceride, Homa-IR, and Homa. 

The results showed that the group of patients with both diabetic parents had significantly younger (F= 9.47, p=0.000006), and earliest initiation of diabetes 9.8 years in comparison to patients without DM relatives (F=12.0, p<0.0000001). Male and female patients with both diabetic parents were younger as compared with the group without history of diabetes, (F=4.24, p=.009) and (F=6.23, p=.0005) respectively; Among females the parity was lower: 4.1 children for the group with both parents with diabetes as compared with 7.7 children (p=.002) for the group without family history of diabetes. In regards to complications of diabetes we did not find significantly differences between the groups according to family history of diabetes, neither blood glucose, HbA1c,  insulin, albuminury, plasma creatinine, total cholesterol, triclyceride levels, Homa-IR, or Homa. 

From the study they concluded:

1.- The patients with type 2 DM with both diabetic parents are 9.9 years younger than those without family history of diabetes, and initiated diabetes at an earliest age.

2.- Among women parity was lower for the group with both parents with diabetes.

3.- This study showed influence of both diabetic parents in the characteristics of the disease in the subjects.  Endo 2002 (P1-84)