Is type 1 hereditary and other questions

[mariom]

Hi There
I am hoping that the fabulous community here will post replies on this thread about the subject in the title.
or possibly provide links to people's blogs on the subject , or even copy a link to an old topic that covers this area

this topic could then hopefully be something that could be shown to gather support from family members, it could be helpful to newly diagnosed families as well as families with a D peep going through issues at the present time.

thanks so much for reading and for posting if you are able.

all the best !!

Heyy there
Its the first time to post here as i 've just signed up
I have some questions and i hope you all guys answer them if you know and help me taking my decision
I don' t suffer from diabetes but some one i know does
He is a diabetic patient (type 1) since he was 15 years old and its well controlled since and his blood sugar tests are always within normal range and HA1C test values are always good and he is now 26 and he asked to marry me but i'm a little scared
First thing is heredity incidence ,, is it high?!
I mean that there is a high risk for the children to have diabetes too just like their dad??
The second thing is will diabetes affect sexual life in the right time like erectile dysfunction or he will be normal?!!
And when will diabetes start to cause sexual problems? I mean at what age?? Is it 30s or 40s or 50s !!
Third thing is what are serious complications could happen on long run??
I hope you can help me and answer my questions or even publish them and let people say their words
Thank you for your time

 

[Juicyj]

Hey @mariom Welcome to the forum - would you like me to move this to a new thread to gain more visibility for you ?

 

[clanders]

Heyy there
Its the first time to post here as i 've just signed up
I have some questions and i hope you all guys answer them if you know and help me taking my decision
I don' t suffer from diabetes but some one i know does
He is a diabetic patient (type 1) since he was 15 years old and its well controlled since and his blood sugar tests are always within normal range and HA1C test values are always good and he is now 26 and he asked to marry me but i'm a little scared
First thing is heredity incidence ,, is it high?!
I mean that there is a high risk for the children to have diabetes too just like their dad??
The second thing is will diabetes affect sexual life in the right time like erectile dysfunction or he will be normal?!!
And when will diabetes start to cause sexual problems? I mean at what age?? Is it 30s or 40s or 50s !!
Third thing is what are serious complications could happen on long run??
I hope you can help me and answer my questions or even publish them and let people say their words
Thank you for your time

Hi Mariom. There is no evidence that type 1 is heredity. There is no one else in my family with this disease. Your partners HAB1C results are good and this indicates he is minimising his risk of long term side effects. There is an awful lot more to marriage than sex. As a woman I have no personal experience of this but would think there would need to be very severe long term complications for man to experience erectile dysfunction because of his diabetes. It is highly probable at some stage he will have a hypoglyceamic episode. If you love and respect him then the fact he has diabetes shouldn't stop you

 

[therower]

Hi @mariom. Can understand your concerns, as someone probably new to the world of diabetes it can seem to be a scary condition.
Is diabetes hereditary? I was diagnosed 27 yrs back and the only other diabetic in my family was a distant uncle who was T2 and by his own admission his lifestyle choices were a factor. Research has shown that one parent with T1 can increase the chances of the condition being passed down, but it's a very small chance. A search of the internet will give you actual research.
Erectile dysfunction? Well I'm 54 and still able. The only time I've been let down is when my blood sugars are to low. A quick break and a bar of chocolate for me a cup of tea for the wife and all is well again. Good BS control, which your partner appears to have should lead to him being perfectly " normal".
Complications? Good overall control of T1 diabetes should in my opinion make for a healthy individual. I feel that being T1 has made me more aware of being and staying healthy. I'm not sure I would have been as healthy today if I wasn't T1.
As @clanders so rightly points out, diabetes shouldn't stop you from loving this guy.

 

[mariom]

Hey @mariom Welcome to the forum - would you like me to move this to a new thread to gain more visibility for you ?

Yes please, i'll be thankful

 

[mariom]

Hi @mariom. Can understand your concerns, as someone probably new to the world of diabetes it can seem to be a scary condition.
Is diabetes hereditary? I was diagnosed 27 yrs back and the only other diabetic in my family was a distant uncle who was T2 and by his own admission his lifestyle choices were a factor. Research has shown that one parent with T1 can increase the chances of the condition being passed down, but it's a very small chance. A search of the internet will give you actual research.
Erectile dysfunction? Well I'm 54 and still able. The only time I've been let down is when my blood sugars are to low. A quick break and a bar of chocolate for me a cup of tea for the wife and all is well again. Good BS control, which your partner appears to have should lead to him being perfectly " normal".
Complications? Good overall control of T1 diabetes should in my opinion make for a healthy individual. I feel that being T1 has made me more aware of being and staying healthy. I'm not sure I would have been as healthy today if I wasn't T1.
As @clanders so rightly points out, diabetes shouldn't stop you from loving this guy.

Thank you , you helped me alot

 

[Emily95]

If the mother is type 1 diabetic, there is a 1-4% chance the child will be type 1. If the father is type 1 diabetic there is a 4-8% chance the child will have type 1 diabetes. This is the same for each child you have, first child, second child, third child, the chance with each pregnancy is the same.

 

[mariom]

Hii @Emily95
Are you sure of it???
Actually i searched many times and the result is always different so i'm confused
Some sites say that if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child developing diabetes are 1 in 17
And some other say that the rist is 25%
And others say that it is 10%
And some say just as you say

 

[becca59]

Just to throw a spanner in the works, my brother and I are both type 1s albeit diagnosed 33 years apart. On diagnosis, my consultant said, "it isn't officially hereditary, but.......!"

 

[TheBigNewt]

It's not at all likely your kids would also be Type 1. I wouldn't let that affect any decisions you make about this man. Nor any decision about his developing ED. Just my .02.

 

[Daibell]

Yes, some genes pre-dispose you to diabetes but it's very complex and you can become T1 with no previous family history. If the diabetes is well-controlled then ED shouldn't be a problem. I'm in my 70s with few problems in that area.

 

[ExtremelyW0rried]

There is a hereditary factor. But if he is the only one so far and it doesn't 'run' in his family it may not be that strong.

I'm type 1 and so is my dad and it looks very likely that my 1 year old is also developing it. However multiple generations of type 1 increase the odds of passing it on hugely which I didn't realise. Had I realised I wouldn't have had any children to be honest. I now feel a huge sense of guilt that I have inflicted this god awful disease on my own child.

 

[Lynz84]

Mariom not to sound horrible but basing your future on how someones illness affects their sexual function is not healthy. What if you go through menopause and lose your libido? The whole point of marriage is to be there through thick and thin and personally speaking if my partner was asking these questions id no longer be with him as its clear he wouldnt stick by me.
This disease can be difficult and unpredictable but we manage as best we can as im sure your partner does. Noone needs the extra pressure of losing someone over future complications.

 

[Steve14]

The more I read about type 1 studies and people's experience, the more I believe that not everyone gets all the "bells and whistles" with the disease and there's likely a genetic component beyond T1D. There are unfortunate, young victims who died from a hypo in their sleep, and there are 60+ years old members who are basically immune to it. Not all of us react the same way to the same foods. Not all of us react the same way to the same exercise plan. Some benefit from a keto diet and some feel worse. Very complex.

I can only comment on the ED & sexual part: personally when it comes to erections and energy, I feel best when I eat high carbs, medium/moderate protein meal with adequate levels of insulin. I feel best in the afternoon, and if I eat a heavy meal in the morning or exercise hard, then I'll feel sick for the rest of the day, while I could do all that in the afternoon and feel fantastic afterwards. Others may need the exact opposite. Again, highly individualized. You have to experiment, and he needs to go to the doc regularly without fussing to ensure he stays healthy. If he keeps his levels tight, and he exercises regularly, eats healthy, doesn't do drugs and you're willing to sometimes sacrifice love making when he feels too low or too high, then you shouldn't experience any issues. I've been down this road with my spouse, and it was a challenge.....

 

[donnellysdogs]

Ref complications too... we can all get problems with health. As a lady, do you regularly check your breasts? Cancer strines at any age and having mastectomies and coping with that is significant...

So, complications...partner (and you) need an awareness that having regular checks and keeping bloods good give the best chance.

Ref children... well, there is worse than diabetes for children. My friend has the worst dystonia and she still laughs, has a canine help dog and a good life. Please, don't let duabetes overwhem your thoughts.

Loving someone is more than living with someone who has diabetes.

From a female with T1 and double mastectomy and chronic stomach/colon issues I can tell you my husband idolises me and loves me for me being me... my personality, our interests and he never flinched with my T1. It was me that could not have children, not him (not because of diabetes). He took me for me and never gave a thought that I came with T1 and childless.

 

[maria030660]

My daugther is a type 1 too. It is genes related and test can determine whether the kid have the gene that can be a trigger to becoming type 1. And for the intimate part is a road you need to go together. No-one guarantees health when you say i do but it is 'in sickness and in health'. I find that if there is a great sense of humor in a relationship and you have the ability to make eachother laugh it is the biggest key in resolving on physical issues you find on your path.

 

[claire1991]

If you’re doubting marrying somebody because of an illness then maybe you’re not right for them?
If I found somebody I loved enough to ask them to marry me was asking on an Internet forum and basing their answer on my sexual abilities I would be withdrawing my question!