Will our children get diabetes if my partner's sister and my brother have diabetes?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for the query. I have seen the details (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity). I want to provide you with some facts regarding diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a familial disorder. That means if either of the parents or both have it, then the chances of their children getting it will increase by 75 percent when both the parents have diabetes and by 50 percent if one is so. Fortunately, type 2 diabetes is a preventable condition. If one adopts a modified lifestyle, maintain near average body weight and BMI (body mass index) of 23 kg/m2. In your case, at present, it is 28.46 kg/m2. Your ideal body weight should be about 143 pounds, but you have an excess of 33 pounds. Regular exercise daily for over one hour is a must. That helps maintain body weight (or even reduce) and also allows insulin to work better. Food intake has to be regulated. Your daily calorie intake should be based on your ideal body weight. So for you, 65 X20 = 1300 Kcalories a day will be perfect. Avoid sweets, deep-fried foods, junk foods, too much cheese, bakery items, and food made of maida. Avoid aerated cool drinks and packaged fruit juices and juices in general. Increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, salads, and fruits daily. Refrain from alcohol and smoking. These things will help you to prevent diabetes in the near future or even for life. Please check your HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) level and lipid profile. Regarding problems with your sister and brother, these are some of the consequences seen in consanguineous marriages. So it is always advised not to marry within close relations. The genetic defects tend to get compounded. Regarding your fiance's sister having type 1 diabetes, it is unlikely that your fiance may also develop the same. Type 1 diabetes is usually detected at a significantly younger age itself. Very rarely, it may be seen in the latter half of life. The chances are almost nil. But if you do not exercise and take the necessary care as suggested, you would be getting type 2 diabetes with a distinct possibility. So please see that you bring down your weight. Your waist circumference should be 85 cm, a sign of average body weight and shape. I hope I have answered all the queries that you had raised. If you still have any doubts, please do come back. Thanks.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern. But it is difficult to say anything with assurance. Usually, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder. The reason for its occurrence is not yet clear. Whether siblings or offsprings are inheriting is also not clear. It is not a disorder passed from parents to children like in type 2 diabetes. Genetic changes and inheritance are not evident. Thanks.