Type 2 diabetes—the initially non–insulin-dependent form of the disease—is closely linked to patients’ family histories. An analysis of the Tyrol Diabetes Registry has now shown that those with a familial predisposition develop diabetes earlier and experience gender-specific complications. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.
“A family history of diabetes (FHD) is a strong risk factor for type 2 diabetes. But little is known about its impact on clinical outcomes,” wrote Clemens Plattner of the University Clinic Innsbruck (MedUni Innsbruck) and co-authors in their paper (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0324696).
Type 2 accounts for 90 percent of diabetes cases worldwide, driven by rising obesity. Yet genetics also play a role: hereditary factors may explain 25–72 percent of risk, with around 250 genomic regions implicated.
Using data from 7,866 type 2 patients in the Tyrol registry, researchers grouped individuals by family history. They found that those with FHD were diagnosed at a mean age of 51.9 years, compared with 56.6 years for those without affected relatives—a significant difference for both sexes.
Long-term complications differ by family history and gender. Patients with FHD had a 41 percent higher risk of neuropathy but a 16 percent lower risk of large-vessel (“macrovascular”) disease. However, men with FHD faced sharply higher macrovascular risks—73–156 percent greater for heart attack, bypass surgery, or peripheral artery disease—and roughly double the heart-attack rate. Cardiovascular mortality was also higher in these men than in women with FHD.
“In addition to earlier onset, a family history influences outcomes: men are more prone to cardiovascular disease, FHD patients face greater neuropathy risk, but have reduced macrovascular risk,” the authors concluded.
