The Genetics of Diabetes

MOD recently went to the UMB Wellness Fair to educate the public about diabetes. One person stopped by the Operation Diabetes booth and asked "How likely am I to get diabetes since my Mom has diabetes?" This inspired MOD to do some more research into the genetics of diabetes.

Both diet and exercise play a big role in your risk of developing diabetes, but genetics also play a role. The following facts were found on the American Diabetes Association website
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/genetics-of-diabetes.html.

• In general, if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child developing diabetes are 1 in 17
• If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your child's risk is 1 in 25; if your child was born after you turned 25, your child's risk is 1 in 100.
• In general, if you have type 2 diabetes, the risk of your child getting diabetes is 1 in 7 if you were diagnosed before age 50 and 1 in 13 if you were diagnosed after age 50.