"Diabetes runs in the family": How does it make you prone to the chronic disease, experts explain

This is one of the common questions asked in connection with diabetes. People who have it or who see family members have reservations about how it makes them and their successors prone to this disease.

On the whole this claim is medically proven, however to what extent one is prone to developing this condition varies.

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In order to create awareness around diabetes and the medical facilities available for it, World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14.

This year’s theme is ‘access to diabetes education’.

"WHO's World Diabetes Day activities will cover issues ranging from championing the priorities of people living with diabetes in advocacy to the Global Diabetes Compact, which drives efforts globally to reduce the risk of diabetes and ensure access to treatment and care," the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

"People in India are considerably more likely to develop diabetes since families in India tend to have similar eating and exercising habits," explains Dr. Aishwarya Krishnamurthy, Consultant Endocrinology & Diabetes, Max Hospital Vaishali.

Dr Krishnamurthy sheds light on the non-genetic risk factors of diabetes as well. "Although a person can inherit a predisposition for developing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes from their parents, a variety of environmental factors are required to develop the chronic disease. In contrast to family history, a person is far more likely to develop genetic diabetes based on their lifestyle and habits," and adds that the role of genes come into play as it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes because of a person's tendency to become obese.

Dr Krishnamurthy says that the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes vary from 60% to 70% if both parents are diagnosed with diabetes while a 30% chance if only the father has it and a slightly higher chance if only the mother has it.

As per health reports, the risk of type 1 diabetes is also influenced by paternal diabetes. If the father has type 1 diabetes, the risk of the child developing type 1 diabetes is 1 in 17 and if the mother with type 1 diabetes has the child before she is 25, then the risk is 1 in 25 and if later than 25, the risk is 1 in 100.

"Type 2 diabetes has a strong link to family history and lineage," says Dr. Chhavi Agrawal, Associate Consultant, Endocrinology, Fortis Escorts, Okhla road, New Delhi.

Dr Agrawal further explains that, "the genetic predisposition to diabetes increases as the relationship to the patient of diabetes becomes closer or the number of diabetics in the family increases, meaning thereby that the same person is more predisposed to onset of diabetes if his parents have diabetes than if his grandparents did."

All the experts have said this in unison that genetic factors do increase the chances of developing diabetes but when this risk is coupled with unhealthy lifestyle habits an early onset of the risk is observed.

Unhealthy lifestyle habits include not having seasonal foods, indulgence in processed foods, random sleeping patterns, and lack of physical exercise.

"Diabetes also increases the risk of other chronic diseases especially cardiac and renal," says Dr Agrawal.

"Patients with diabetes tend to develop these complications almost 10 years prior to that of a normal individual. They also tend to have more severe forms of the disease," the expert adds and suggests that in patients who are genetically predisposed, a healthy lifestyle may delay or prevent the onset of the disease.

On this, Dr Ramesh Goyal, Head of Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad says "Diabetes was earlier seen in people aged 40 and above, but nowadays because of obesity, lack of physical activity and consumption of a high calorie diet, diabetes is seen in people in their 30s and even in 20s, if the person is obese."

"If you have a family history of diabetes, keeping your weight ideal to your height, leading an active life, and eating healthy food can help you to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes," Dr Goyal adds.