Type 1 diabetes - genetic or not?

[Cocomaymay]

Hey,

I’m a mum of two boys aged 2 and 3 with type 1 diabetes. I was diagnosed at the age of 22 in 2013 and there is no family history of diabetes. They reckon it may have been a series of bad viral infections that resulted in the diagnoses but couldn’t be 100% sure.

Has anyone else went through similar and if so have your children ended up being type 1 diabetic? I’ve been told in the past there’s no proof of the condition being genetic but have heard of many people with friends with type 1 diabetes.

I’m just curious as I find it hard not to worry that my boys may end up diagnosed but you never know!

*edit - 1st line makes it sound like the boys have T1D but they don’t, it’s me. Can’t edit the post for some reason 🫠

Some doctors say there’s no genetic link, but others aren’t so sure - it could be that you can have a genetic predisposition to it and something (virus or whatever) tips the balance and you develop Type 1. I don’t know, but I’m third generation Type 1 myself, so I strongly believe there is a genetic component.

My grandfather was one of seven siblings, five of whom had it, he was the only one who survived as he was young enough to benefit from the discovery of insulin. My mother developed it in her thirties, after taking steroids for a lung infection, and I developed it at a similar age after having children. (My mother’s sister and half-brother also developed it at a similar age too.) So it seems more than coincidental to me. My previous diabetic consultant wanted to refer me and my children to the Bristol University study which is looking into familial diabetes, but I moved area before that happened.

Like you, I worry about my boys developing it (they’re 28 and 30 now) and they’re both aware of what symptoms to watch for. Other than that, I’ve no idea what will happen, but hope that at some point in the future a cure will be found for it.

My Dad developed T1 diabetes when he was in his forties, and lived to the ripe old age of 84.

Neither his parents had it but a distant cousin also developed it when he was older. I believe late onset may develop from an autoimmune condition but there seems to be so much not known about T1.

Interested to hear other’s experiences. I had gestational diabetes and my partner has T1D and often think if DD will be alright.

So my husband, his brothers, male cousins, dad and paternal grandad are/were all T1! His sister is fine! They had genetic testing for MODY (rare form of genetic diabetes) but it wasn’t that. We have a 2y/o DD and I’m just hoping that the seeming male link means she’ll avoid it 🙏🏻

There is evidence of genetic increased chance - see eg:

diabetes.org/diabetes/genetics-diabetes#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20a%20man,risk%20is%201%20in%20100.

There is a genetic element.

You can get your boys screened by a home blood test from age 3

https://www.elsadiabetes.nhs.uk/

I have type 1. No other relative has/had it. My children have a slightly increased chance of developing it. As you have it you'll know what to look out for, but it's not something I worry about with my own.

I know a type 1 child whose grandparent had it but no other family member.

my son has an autoimmune condition thought to run in families but he is the only one.

I don't think you can say for sure.

My grandmother was T1 and I did one of those dna health checks. It showed markers for autoimmune disease inheritance which of course may not manifest as diabetes - mine said more likely Graves’ disease - and given that my mum had lupus, I don’t doubt it.

so while no direct inheritance for diabetes, the tendency can be inherited.