A Family History Of Type 1 Diabetes – Should You Be Worried?

A family history of type 1 diabetes is a red flag you can’t afford to ignore.

Introduction

Too young to develop diabetes? Have an active and healthy lifestyle and still struggling with symptoms? Sometimes, the problem is deeper than you think. Especially if your loved ones &ndash; a parent, sibling, child, or another close relative &ndash; have similar concerns.

This article explores the relationship between the family history of diabetes and the risk it poses for an individual. 
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Understanding The Familial Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes

While the risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clear as for type 2 diabetes, it is said to be caused by an immune reaction. That is, your body is the one responsible for destroying the cells that make insulin.

What&rsquo;s worse is that studies have identified specific genetic variants associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes. 
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People usually inherit risk factors from both parents for type 1 diabetes.<a href="#accordion">[4]</a>

<ul>
	<li>If the father has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, the risk of the child developing it is 1 in 17.</li>
	<li>If the mother has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and the child was born before they were 25, the risk of the child developing it is 1 in 25. Pregnancy after 25 means the risk is reduced to 1 in 100.</li>
	<li>If both parents have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 4 and 1 in 10. 
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</ul>

Additionally,

<ul>
	<li>The risk of the child developing diabetes doubles if the parent develops it before 11 years of age.</li>
	<li>1 in 2 children will develop type 1 diabetes if the parents have type 2 polyglandular autoimmune syndrome.</li>
</ul>

Given that type 1 diabetes is highly prevalent among white people, it&rsquo;s believed that these risk factors are more common in this population than in non-white individuals. Most white people have HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4 genes, which are related to autoimmune disease and make the child prone to developing type 1 diabetes.

Other genes, including HLA-DR7 and HLA-DR9, increase the risk of type 1 diabetes for African Americans and Japanese respectively.<a href="#accordion">[4]</a> 
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Note: Genetic susceptibility doesn&rsquo;t always mean you&rsquo;ll develop the condition as well. At this time, other factors such as smoking and obesity trigger the onset. One proof of this is identical twins with identical sets of genes; while one gets the disease, the possibility of the other being diagnosed is only 50%. 
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According to a study, certain genetic factors and a family history of type 1 diabetes mean you&rsquo;re more likely to have problems with your immune system attacking insulin-producing islet &beta;-cells, causing diabetes.<a href="#accordion">[1]</a>

Research also proves that the risk increases by 80% for individuals who have a first-degree relative with the condition.<a href="#accordion">[2]</a> 
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Learning about your family history of diabetes is crucial to finding out if you have it or are likely to develop it, too.

A family history of diabetes is positively associated with risk awareness and risk-reducing behaviors.<a href="#accordion">[3]</a> The identification of high-risk individuals based on family history and genetic markers can aid in targeted preventive interventions.<a href="#accordion">[1]</a> 
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Conclusion

Genetic factors, lifestyle influences, and their interactions contribute to the complex interplay of risk factors for type 1 diabetes. Understanding the impact of family history on diabetes risk is essential for developing targeted preventive measures and personalized risk management strategies. 
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Key Takeaways

<ul>
	<li>An immune reaction is the primary cause of type 1 diabetes.</li>
	<li>Genetic variants associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes include HLA-DR3, HLA-DR4, HLA-DR7, and HLA-DR9.</li>
	<li>Age and ethnicity are significant risk factors for type 1 diabetes.</li>
	<li>The risk increases by 80% for individuals who have a first-degree relative with the condition.</li>
</ul>

[1] Bonifacio, E., Hummel, M., Walter, M., Schmid, S., & Ziegler, A. (2004). iddm1 and multiple family history of type 1 diabetes combine to identify neonates at high risk for type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 27(11), 2695-2700

[2] Sakurai, M., Nakamura, K., Miura, K., Takamura, T., Yoshita, K., Sasaki, S., … & Nakagawa, H. (2013). Family history of diabetes, lifestyle factors, and the 7‐year incident risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle‐aged japanese men and women. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 4(3), 261-268. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.12033

[3] Hariri, S., Yoon, P., Qureshi, N., Valdéz, R., Scheuner, M., & Khoury, M. (2006). Family history of type 2 diabetes: a population-based screening tool for prevention?. Genetics in Medicine, 8(2), 102-108