Risk of developing type 2 diabetes if family history of diabetes

There is evidence that Type 2 diabetes has a strong familial basis:

• at least 40% of siblings of subjects with type 2 diabetes can expect to also develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime (1)
  • risk is based on the assumption that survival will be to the age of 80 years (1)
• study evidence has revealed the relative risk of developing diabetes in a Pima Indian population (adjusted for age and obesity) was (2):
  • 2.3 times in offspring with one affected parent
  • 3.9 times greater in offspring with two affected parents
• evidence for the genetic nature of the disease of type 2 diabetes also comes from twin studies
  • one study involving monozygotic twins revealed that the concordance rate for type 2 diabetes was increased at 58% (3). This compared with the expected prevalence of 10% (3)

Reference:

1. Kobberling JTH. Empirical risk figures for first degree relatives of noninsulin dependent diabetics. Academic Press London:201-09.
2. Knowler WC, Pettitt DJ, Savage PJ, Bennett PH. Diabetes incidence in Pima indians: contributions of obesity and parental diabetes. Am J Epidemiol 1981;113:144-56.
3. Newman B, Selby JV, King MC, Slemenda C, Fabsitz R, Friedman GD.Concordance for type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in male twins. Diabetologia 1987;30:763-8