Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
My husband acquired
type 1 diabetes
when he was five. There is no other family history of the disease. I have no health related illnesses and there is no history of diabetes in my family except for my grandmother, who acquired
type 2 diabetes
at seventy-five.
What is the risk for our children getting type 1 diabetes?
Thank you so much for your time.
Answer
The risk of a first degree relative of someone with type 1 diabetes getting type 1 diabetes is about 5%. There is some information that this is a little higher if dad has diabetes and a little lower if mom does. The actual risk is really determined by which genes your children got from their dad. If they do not have the genes associated with diabetes then their risk is not increased. There are
antibody tests which can indicate if there is any evidence for a reaction to insulin or the cells that produce it in the pancreas (islet cells). You can discuss the advisability of measuring these in your children with your provider.
The most important thing is to be aware (and if appropriate make them aware) of the symptoms of diabetes and to get a blood test if they do occur (frequent urination, unusual thirst, weight loss, blurred vision etc.)
lbb
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