My twin is diabetic

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Question:

<<There is a strong genetic factor to most causes of diabetes, especially Type 1. However, the odds are difficult to calculate because you have to go back several generations and know the genetic makeup of all your forebears. My understanding is that the genetic factor is more pronounced for Type 2 than Type 1 diabetics. Wendy

Response:

My understanding is that at 25 the chances of type 1 and type are about equal, especially if you exclude gestational diabetes which I assume you can with two brothers. If they are fraturnal(?sp) twins they odds are the same as for siblings in general. If identical, maybe as high as 50%. In the case of type 1 they should have the genetic exposure but by 25 years of age, the triggering events should be separate. Art Schor – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone ever heard of one twin being diabetic and one being healthy? Well that is my situation. My brother was diagnosed 6 years ago at the age of 25. I check myself about 3 times a year and have always been in the normal range. What are the chances that I will develope diabetes in the future? I hope that I never get it, because my brother has had a hard time with it. Thanks for any info. First, read the FAQ for this newsgroup. It is extensive and is posted frequently. There are 28 known causes of diabetes. You didn’t say what age your brother was when diagnosed, but I am surmising that he is probably what we call Type 1 diabetic — has lost some or all of the ability to produce insulin. There is a strong genetic factor to most causes of diabetes, especially Type 1. However, the odds are difficult to calculate because you have to go back several generations and know the genetic makeup of all your forebears. There are so many combinations that you would need a computer to calculate the exact odds for you. At least for Type 1 diabetes, the current theory is that it is caused by a genetically induced auto-immune error triggered by a viral infection. Exactly which virus (or viruses) are the cause is the subject of considerable current debate and research. When triggered, the body’s auto-immune system nukes the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, thinking they are foreign invaders. The onset is usually quite sudden and diagnosis occurs within weeks to a few months. Prior to the discovery of insulin, death occurred within about six months. I believe there is one current on-going study being conducted in which they are giving the antiviral agent Interferon to children known to be at risk for Type 1 diabetes. However, I doubt they would be interested in someone in his mid-twenties, as the incidence of new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes drops off rather sharply after physical maturity. I might also suggest that you have your brother read the FAQ for this newsgroup and join in here. If he’s having a hard time, there are a lot of people here who can be a lot of help. NOTICE: The e-mail address is deliberately incorrect. Make the ISP read "triax.com" by adding a "t."

Response:

Has anyone ever heard of one twin being diabetic and one being healthy? Well that is my situation. My brother was diagnosed 6 years ago at the age of 25. I check myself about 3 times a year and have always been in the normal range. What are the chances that I will develope diabetes in the future? I hope that I never get it, because my brother has had a hard time with it. Thanks for any info.

First, read the FAQ for this newsgroup. It is extensive and is posted frequently. There are 28 known causes of diabetes. You didn’t say what age your brother was when diagnosed, but I am surmising that he is probably what we call Type 1 diabetic — has lost some or all of the ability to produce insulin. There is a strong genetic factor to most causes of diabetes, especially Type 1. However, the odds are difficult to calculate because you have to go back several generations and know the genetic makeup of all your forebears. There are so many combinations that you would need a computer to calculate the exact odds for you. At least for Type 1 diabetes, the current theory is that it is caused by a genetically induced auto-immune error triggered by a viral infection. Exactly which virus (or viruses) are the cause is the subject of considerable current debate and research. When triggered, the body’s auto-immune system nukes the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, thinking they are foreign invaders. The onset is usually quite sudden and diagnosis occurs within weeks to a few months. Prior to the discovery of insulin, death occurred within about six months. I believe there is one current on-going study being conducted in which they are giving the antiviral agent Interferon to children known to be at risk for Type 1 diabetes. However, I doubt they would be interested in someone in his mid-twenties, as the incidence of new diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes drops off rather sharply after physical maturity. I might also suggest that you have your brother read the FAQ for this newsgroup and join in here. If he’s having a hard time, there are a lot of people here who can be a lot of help. NOTICE: The e-mail address is deliberately incorrect. Make the ISP read "triax.com" by adding a "t."

Response:

If you are an identical twin, the chances of your developing Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes are approx 50% (one recent publication stated 30% but i think it may have been a typo. It’s much less if non-identical – about 5%. This suggests that there is an environmental as well as a genetic cause. You can get tested for GAD antibodies to see if you are already developing it – the test shows up years in advance. This can be done, for example, through the Diabetes Prevention Trial – check with the American Diabetes Association for the nearest centre. Dr Matt International Diabetes Website http://www.idi.org.au registering 80,000 hits a week

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