Do you know that type 2 diabetes can be inherited due to certain genetic factors?
Are you aware that as a youth, if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, you’re more likely to develop the disease?
Actually, type 2 diabetes can be inherited. However, environmental factors also play a huge role in the progression of the disease. Type 2 diabetes is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. (https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes-risk-factors)
Clearly, you must first understand that not everyone with a family history of type 2 diabetes will get it, but if a parent or sibling has it, you are more likely to also develop the same.
Therefore, when a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, there is a good chance that they are not the first with diabetes in the family.
Research in science has shown that several gene mutations have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes. Also, multiple gene mutations are generally linked to a higher diabetes risk.These gene mutations can interact with the environment and each other to further increase your risk.
Again, not everyone who carries a mutation will get diabetes. However, many people with diabetes do have one or more of these mutations.
In general, mutations affecting any gene involved in controlling blood glucose levels can increase a person's risk for type 2 diabetes.
These include genes that control:
● the production of glucose
● the production and regulation of insulin
● how glucose levels are sensed in the body
More specifically, genes associated with type 2 diabetes risk include:
● TCF7L2, which affects insulin secretion and glucose production,
● ABCC8, which helps in the regulation of insulin,
● CAPN10, which is associated with type 2 diabetes risk in Mexican Americans,
● GLUT2, which helps move glucose into the pancreas, and
● GCGR, a glucagon hormone directly involved in glucose regulation.
Genetic testing for type 2 diabetes
Several tests are currently available for some of the gene mutations associated with type 2 diabetes. The increased risk for any given mutation is small, however.
There are other factors that serve as more accurate predictors of whether a person will develop type 2 diabetes, including:
● Body mass index (BMI)
● Your family history
● High blood pressure
● High triglyceride and cholesterol levels
● A history of gestational diabetes
Most persons who develop type 2 diabetes first have insulin resistance, a condition whereby the body cells are unable to utilize insulin as efficiently as normal.
Eventually, when insulin resistance develops, more and more insulin is required to keep blood glucose levels within the normal range. In order to keep up with the increasing need, insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) are compelled to make larger amounts of insulin.
Unfortunately, the beta cells become less able to respond to blood glucose changes over time, leading to an insulin shortage that prevents the body from reducing blood glucose levels effectively.
Most people experience some mild levels of insulin resistance as they age, but inadequate exercise and excessive weight gain makes it worse, greatly increasing the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Intervention Accentuating Diet and Enhancing Metabolism study (DIADEM,) a large, 2020 randomized clinical trial of people with type 2 diabetes, suggests that weight loss and increased physical activity can prevent or reverse early type 2 diabetes.
In conclusion, it can sometimes be difficult to separate genetic risk from environmental risk. Albeit, if blood glucose levels are not controlled through medication or diet, type 2 diabetes can lead to long-lasting (chronic) health problems including heart disease and stroke; nerve damage; and damage to the kidneys, eyes, and other parts of the body.
All in all, early diagnosis and treatment can have a positive impact on your overall health outlook.