The inheritance of diabetes

Abstract

Two factors are involved in the development of diabetes. These are heredity and the environment. We all accept that heredity plays a part in the onset of diabetes and it is doubtful whether environmental factors have ever caused diabetes in the absence of this inherited component. In most diabetics, heredity plays the major role. The familial tendency of diabetes was first noted in India as long ago as the seventh century. The exact pattern of the inheritance of diabetes has never been fully understood, because the pattern of inheritance is extremely complex. It was only in 1929 that it was noted that diabetes was very commonly found affecting both in a set of identical twins. If one identical twin has maturity onset diabetes, there is a greater than 60% chance that the other twin will develop maturity onset diabetes. Furthermore, a high percentage of children born to two diabetic parents will develop diabetes by 40 years of age.