Does diabetes run in your family?

It does in mine. My dad was type 2. All his brothers/sisters are/were “to some degree”, though most of them do not take good care of themselves. His parents were… it’s like a diabetic family tree. :S

How about your case? I guess this could be more commonly the case with type 1’s (1.5’s?) but type 2’s? Any?

Type 2 does - on my father’s side, two of his sisters and a brother all having it - both grandparents had it too.

On my mother’s side - there’s not even a hint.

No Type 1 to be found - other than me.

I’m not sure if it runs in my family since I am adopted. But from what information I have from my biological mother’s side of the family, it doesn’t run in the family. I don’t know anything about my biological father, so I don’t really know about the family history. This can be frustrating at times when all the medical forms and questions always ask “Does __________________ run in your family?” I always have to put “Unknown, adopted.” If I didn’t love my family so much, it would almost make me feel like a freak. :smiley:

I know the feeling Cara. I’m illegitimate and have no idea about my father’s side of things. I know that on my Mother’s side there is nothing that runs through, except long life. They seem to hang on to life rather well. :slight_smile:

Yes, I am the 4th generation of women in my family to develop diabetes. I was diagnosed at Type 2 in my early 20s, so many doctors believe I may actually be a bit of a Type 1 also. (I guess you all that Type 1.5?! LOL)

I’m the only one in my family, on either side, who has diabetes. My oldest niece had gestational diabetes and is very overweight now, and I’m afraid that she’s heading toward a Type 2 diagnosis eventually.

My father was diagnosed Type 2 while in his early 30’s, back in the early 1970’s. I can remember him taking insulin shots. I was 8 to 10 years old at the time. I remember thinking that what he had was very bad because he had to take shots. My father was an alcoholic and died at the age of 37. Due to my meds, I had to stop drinking, which was a good thing. I was drinking too much.

My mother was diagnosed with Type 2 in her mid 60’s. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 43. I can not recall any of my parents siblings having diabetes. I have a cousin (on my mother’s side) who has Type 2, and has had one foot amputated due to poor circulation. I must admit that Type 2 forced me to live a much healtheir life style. So far I have lost 35 pounds and three pants sizes.

No Type 2 anywhere in my family, and I am the only Type 1. I was always under the impression that it is Type 2 that is more likely to have an easily traceable genetic connection. Perhaps the genetics in Type 1 are more complex: an inherited tendency to be more susceptible to something that triggers the body’s immune system to self-destruct, or something else equally difficult to track. Hopefully someone will figure it all out soon!

Only relative I know of is a great uncle. Otherwise, no other diabetes in my family except me! Lucky me, huh?

Nope. I am a trendsetter in my family. :slight_smile: No diabetes on either side.

I don’t know… I had 2 great Aunts that had Type 2 Diabetes… I have Type 1 diabetes… for 14 years… I had Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with my 2nd child then 4 months later I became Type 1 Diabetic… My oldest has Type 1 Diabetes since he was 12 years old… now he’s 19 yrs old…

My Mom developed Type 2 gestationally (sp?) while carrying me… It never cleared up.
My Dad developed Type 2 about 3 years ago at 70. My Maternal Aunt also developed Type 2 in her early 60’s. We are all heavyweights… I’m sure that taking better care could have at least delayed the on-set for me… Hindsight is 20/20!

I’m not aware of a history in the family prior to my parents generation, but then again… Many of them didn’t make it out of Eastern Europe during WWII so it is hard to know…

I’m the first instance of diabetes (either type - I’m Type 1) in my family. My aunt on my mother’s side is at risk for Type 2, though.

No history on my side or my husband’s side of either type. So far one of our three kids developed Type 1 (the middle child).

Yes My mother is type 2 for years and years and my brother was diagnosed two months after I was.

I am the only one with any type of diabetes (type 1 since 1988); however, endocrine problems run in the family. All of us, including myself, my father and my sister have thryoid problems. Both my father and I have hypOthyroidism and my sister has hypeRthyroidism.

Yes indeed. My grandmother had 12 siblings, and Tl runs in the generation of these people’s grandchildren (so would that make us 2nd cousins, or 2nd cousins once-removed, or what/) Anyway, in that general there are 36 of us. Unfortunately, many were diagnosed before the radical improvement in self-care techniques and suffered horrible complications. And, at family gatherings, it’s the thing everybody’s thinking about but nobody’s gonna talk about.

As far back as we can find on either side of my family - no one but me.

My father was diagnosed with type 2 years ago - it wasn’t until I was diagnosed as a type 1 that I realised he’s actually a T1 too. We both fit the typical LADA (1.5) story, both diagnosed as T2s to start with but didn’t respond to diet & meds for long, etc. Not sure why I was sent to an endo and tested for T1 and he was just shoved along as a T2… Guess it doesn’t really matter, so long we’re both looking after ourselves :smiley: It’s just a name in the end.

Other than that there’s no others that I’m aware of, though there are other auto-immune problems in the family (my sister has MS and there are various other health issues scattered in every corner of my huge family).

I just hope (with all my might!) that my son never gets it. Wouldn’t wish D on anyone

Im type1 diabetic, my gran had it, but neither my mum, dad or aunts and uncles have it. I have heard that it skips a generation. x