Type 1 - Is it genetic?

[jddukes]

Hi MrsMushroom,

To answer your question there is likely a genetic element to T1 diabetes (IDDM), in the sense of pre-disposition and risk-factors as opposed to "definitely will get" genetic link. This is why some people have families where it is common, and others don't.

Secondly, there may also be an environmental risk - most people associate this with T2 diabetes (as being diet linked - however T2 also has genetic elements and predisposition factors). For example, a potential environmental risk with T1's may be viral infections - whereby a virus (such as Epstein-Barr virus) can cause issues in the body that over time, result in type I diabetes.

If you think about what T1 diabetes is, it will be a loss of function of Beta cells in the pancreas (or neutralising the body's own insulin by way of auto-antibodies etc). This could be destruction of beta cells by an immune response, which there are tentative links to viral infections starting this process off, or starting off a sequence of events which results in type 1 diabetes.

It may turn out that there are susceptibility genes and environmental factors that interplay with each other resulting in the generation of type 1 diabetes. Whatever it is, it is quite complex and we do not fully understand it yet (plus it is difficult to properly study!).

All the best!
J

[Catsymoo]

Yes. My aunt was a type 1 and she did not take care of herself and died at 52. She had other major problems too, she literally would not go to doctors unless forced.

My uncle was a type 2 but now he is a type 1. (not sure if that's possible??) I think my aunt got it in her twenties, my uncle was older. It's funny, all the non smokers in my family are the ones who get crap wrong with them. My aunt was overweight but my uncle fit as a fiddle and he still got type 2 in his 40s.

I turned 23 last week and got diagnosed June this year. It's definitely genetic or it plays a HUUUUUUUUUUGE part, because I've eaten super duper healthy since I was 16 and lost loads of weight, then I get smacked in the face with type 1 diabetes.

[Robinredbreast]

Hi

My uncle on my mums side had type 1, and I was told my mums mum had it? but she died when my mum was only 6 yrs old. I was diagnosed in 1989 and my darling grandaughter was diagnosed aged 2 1/2 last year:( So yes, it is genetic in my family. Best wishes RRB

[Sanober]

From what I've learned is that there are usually autoimmune conditions clusters in the family over all.

Having this vunerablity to autoimmune conditions is surely to at genetic level but inheriting T1 itself is incredibly tiny in terms of probability.

I have two T2 parents (the only confirmed T2s, this has high hereditory factors esp in S.East asians which are 6 times more likely to get it if parents have it) however I'm S.east asian and yet I'm 'LADA' or adult onset T1 and no one else has it

In my family some autoimmune conditions include rheumotoid athritis, virtiligo, thyroid, hay fever, as examples. On top of that other things e.g we have thalassemia B deficiency (this is genetic) we have asthma (is this autoimmune? I'm unsure), dermatological problems, alopecia, PCOS, Endometriosis, neurological heart issue (my sister recently, the other being tested) vit D deficiency (my brother recently - he also had an op for double carpal tunnel) the list goes on and on and on...

Out of curiosity is there any other autoimmune conditon around your family?

[susieg]

I am the only one in my family to have diabetes. (As far as I know - as I don't know further back than grandparents) I am also the healthiest in my family, and I was 61 when diagnosed!!!

[dwibley]

I have a quite a large extended family and besides my great aunt who had type 2 diabetes in her elder years I am the only one with type 1 which I have had since childhood.

The physician at the time of my diagnosis told my parents that he believed it was hereditary and that any children that I had in the future would have a 50/50 chance of getting the disease as a child.

Consequently I have had four children and two grandchildren and they are all free of diabetes so far.

[Geri]

Two of my cousins have daughters with type 1, one diagnosed aged 2 and the other age 7, I was diagnosed aged 8 in 1970 and also have other auto immune conditions (poly glandular disorder). I was the first in our known family history to get diagnosed and my brother has no problems at all with his health. It seems to have affected girls in our extended family!
I thought links with genetics with Type 1 was unusual but reading posts in this thread it seems to be fairly common.

[annettekp]

My 4 year old is type 1. Great granny had 2 siblings with type 1 one who died as a child. Coming down the family tree there are T1 s all over the place. But because no parents and children in the same family have it we were told there wasn't a genetic link but with so many how can there not be? There are no diabetics on the other side at all.

[Beanpole]

I'm one of six children and two of us have type1. My sister was diagnosed at 6 and myself at 18. We both also have other autoimmune disorders like hypothyroidism, coeliac disease, antibody deficiency and rheumatoid arthritis. Whilst other family members have the other conditions we are the only two with diabetes

As we are a large sibling group we took part in genetic research about 15 years ago. This identified genes that were associated with diabetes and wether we were carrying them but they stressed it still needed an unknown environmental trigger.

[nickyjayne]

I was diagnosed 23yrs ago, with type 1, my mother was diagnosed with type 1,when she was 15 she is now 71, my sister is type2, she was diagnosed 7yrs ago. My mum's elder sister was diagnosed 10yrs ago, she is type 1, my mother's mum was type 2 for many yrs, and mother's dad was type 2 for many yrs, my mother's elder brother was type 2 for many yrs, my mum' s younger sister and brother are both type 2 for many yrs, as so is my aunty's daughter for the past 7yrs. so I do think there is a link in my family......but I have 3 grown up children and it is a nightmare for me, to sit back and watch and wait, just in case.......my daughter has early signs of nuropathy in her hands, my mother has lost her leg due to nuropathy, and some sever complications of diabetes.

[pump994]

I was diagnosed type 1 in November 17th 1975, i was age 4.

There is no one else in the family with it.
Again it just bad luck on my behalf.

thank you Jesus Christ for giving me the most offal dieses out there that I have to put up with for the rest of my life,

[maria030660]

hi,

yes it is genetic, my daugther is also a type 1 and they found the same gene that triggers type 1 in my grandchilderen (twin boys of 2 years old from my son who is not a diabetic). They are monitored closely at the moment but it could be that only one of the twins get it, both get it or both dont get it at all.

[Jayno]

I've been type 1 diabetic for 41 years . I was diagnosed shortly after I contracted measles age 2. No one in my family is type 1 or type 2!

[Cobra3164]

From what I have learnt so far the majority of type 1 is genetic. As for myself it was lifestyle, approx 5 weeks ago I was admitted to hospital with pancreatitis the result of this being than nearly all of the beta cells in my pancreas were destroyed due to this illness. It was my fault I had been drinking moderate to high amounts of alcohol (Man I loved my beer). My GP explained to me that some peoples bodys are more vunerable to drink and therefore alcohol is more poisonus to them. Since my bout of pancreatitis I have given up drink altogether and had to reduce my fat intake. So in answer to the question the majority is genetic but sometimes it is self inflicted.

All the best

Simon aka Cobra3164

[daisybell]

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Other members of your family may have autoimmune disease e.g hypothyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, Lupus, celiac etc