Double Diabetes?

[Mark T]

So my test results came back and I can categorically say, I’m not MODY3 – which was, in honesty, the result I expected.

In the background reading I’ve been doing I’ve found described in a few places something called Early Onset Type 2 Diabetes. They characterise it as a form of Type 2 which is typically diagnosed between 25 and 40. MODY is usually characterised as being diagnosed under the age of 25.

(these are of course just typical ages because it seems you can get diagnosed with any form of diabetes at almost any age)

The difference for early onset is that its defined as when you inherit Type 2 susceptibility genes from both parents where as in the form of Type 2 that onsets after 40 is typically a single set of inherited genes. One of the papers goes on to say that often the apparently non-diabetic parent has an previously undetected form, possibly IGT or IFG, that is only detected after an OGTT and fasting tests.

Now my grandmother on my mothers side has got Type 2 – but she is 87 so you could suggest that it is expected. On the other hand, my wifes 92 year old grandfather is a picture of health – so maybe it does come down to susceptibility genes!

My question is, out of the Type 2’s on this board who were diagnosed younger – how many have both parents diabetic? or diabetes in the grandparents on both sides?

The inference here is that there are bad genes on my mothers side as well as the known diabetes in my fathers line. But it also suggest my father’s mother was carrying some diabetes genes as my father and his brother both got diabetes in their late 30’s.

<now if you got this far, you are doing well 🙂>

 

[Northerner]

You're certainly an interesting case Mark! Can't help with the genetic background, I'm not aware that anyone in my family has ever had diabetes of any form.

 

[Steff]

Mark your certainly a hear scracher of a case lol,I was dx at 26 and neither my dad or mum or grandparents had/have diabetes, the only member of my family is an uncle with type 1

 

[cazscot]

Ah interesting thought Mark. I see where you are coming from... Both my parents have type 2, one grandmother with confirmed type 2 and we suspect my other grandmother had type 2 symptoms for a few years before she passed away. I have also recently been told that one of my grandfathers may have been diabetic but as he died 30 odd years ago it can't be confirmed.

But I was only diagnosed when I was 38 and had already started to loose weight so I don't know what that does to your theory 😉...

We haven't looked into the genetics of diabetes yet (it is on the course syllabus for about 4 weeks time). I will post any interesting information that I find...

 

[Mark T]

Thanks Carol, it would be interesting to see what you discover.

I don't actually think I'm all that special or interesting, I'm just a type 2 diabetic

It's probably more relevant for my family since it might point to my sisters getting type 2 later in life (one of my sisters already had gestation diabetes).

Plus it's an interesting theory since it pretty much postulates that all type 2 is caused by inherited genetic defects, and the nature of your diabetes comes down to which faulty genes you inherit and from where (you inherit two sets of genes, so in theory you can inherit the same gene twice or a different gene from each side, etc).

 

[Twinkle]

I was diagnosed a few months ago, a week after my 41st birthday but can safely say diabetes was 'in the post' for at least 12 months.

My dad was diagnosed in his late thirties before I was born. His uncle went undiagnosed for many years and was blind before his death at a ripe old age. It would appear in retrospect my nan (dad's mum) was also diabetic but never confronted it. I don't think there is anyone on my mums side but I can't be sure, it's a very big family.

I didn't ever expect to be diagnosed as for some gullible reason I believed my parents who said that the women in our family carry the gene, and the men get it! It's only since diagnosis that I've been told my nan had it too.

 

[LisaLQ]

I was diagnosed at 32, and my granddad on my dad's side had type 2 diabetes, he died of lung cancer but the diabetes didn't help much. As far as I know, none on my mam's side, but tbh it's not something I've ever asked, so I might be wrong.

 

[Dizzydi]

I was diagnosed at 35 - gran and ma both t2, cant go any further than gran as she was adopted. Dont know about pa's family as his parents died when he was young, nothing on his dads side and his mothers family all lived in Germany so cant tell there either.

I'm convinced it is down to the genes!!

 

[MargB]

I was diagnosed at 58, mum was T2 but diagnosed in late 70s. Know at least one of her brothers was T2 but not when he was diagnosed. Not sure about dad's side, heart disease took off most of the men when they were in their 40s but it seems there was diabetes amongst the older generation but no idea when they were diagnosed.

First thing doc said to me was that it was not my fault. I personally was disappointed to be diagnosed so early in life - had expected when in late 60s, early 70s assuming I got that far!

It is what it is.

 

[cherrypie]

http://www.genetichealth.com/DBTS_Genetics_of_Type_2_Diabetes.shtml

I thought this was quite interesting with regard to inheriting Type 2 and it seems to suggest that some more than others in the family go on to develop Type 2. You could have a gene that increases your chances and yet you could have others that diminish your chances and overrule that susceptibilty gene.

I was 64 when I was diagnosed, nobody else in the family that I know of has ever had it and my siblings, both older haven't got it either. I was not overweight when diagnosed and still am not.

 

[cookiez]

I was diagnosed at 20. Neither my parents or grandparents had/have Diabetes. My Mum is adopted, however, so we do not know the full story, but from what she has learned from her real family, diabetes was not mentioned.