A man’s risk of type 2 diabetes may be influenced by the age of his mother at the time of his birth, according to new research.
The study, conducted by researchers at the department of endocrinology at Ghent University Hospital, found that men whose mothers were under the age of 25 or over the age of 34 at the time of the man’s birth were more likely to be insulin resistant.
The researchers analysed the data of around 700 men between the ages of 25 and 45. The age of their mothers at the time of their birth ranged from 15 to 48.
The participants then took part in several tests, measuring their cholesterol, blood glucose, and insulin levels.
The men whose mothers were aged between 30 and 34 at the time of their birth had the lowest fasting insulin levels and the lowest incidence of insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes. By being more insulin resistant, the men in the study were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Charlotte Verroke, study author, said: “We found that in a group of healthy men between 25 and 45 years old, sugar handling was related to their mother’s age at childbirth.
“Specifically, sons of mothers under 30 and over 34 years old at childbirth were more insulin resistant than were sons of mothers between 30 and 34 years old.
“Moreover, sons of mothers who were younger than 25 years old at childbirth had higher fasting blood sugar levels than sons of older mothers.”
However, the research is still at a preliminary stage. It was presented at a meeting of the Endocrine society, and is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Neither does the study prove any kind of cause and effect relationship between mother’s age at childbirth and insulin resistance in male babies. It only suggests a link.

Get our free newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest news, research and breakthroughs.