The Connection Between Diabetes and Genetics
Genetics or heredity is one of the powerful factors that increase a person's chance of getting diabetes.
Diabetes is a disorder in blood sugar control due to insufficient production of insulin or the cells have developed insulin resistance.
Ineffective diabetic management can lead to fatal complications affecting the kidneys, liver, heart, eyes, and the nerves.
Diabetes is of two types, Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
And it turns out that this incurable disease, regardless of what type, runs in families.
According to scientists, there are numerous genes affecting your predisposition to Diabetes.
The most associated genes for Type 1 diabetes are the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region and the insulin gene.
This gene is responsible for identifying how many calories your body is burning while resting.
Changes or mutations in this gene can slow down the burning of fats and calories, increasing the person's susceptibility to obesity.
There are many other genes responsible involved in Type 2 diabetes.
However, researchers find it very challenging to identify the specific gene mutations which have direct effects on diabetes.
It's true that genetic predisposition to diabetes is very strong.
However, this doesn't mean that diabetes is already inevitable.
More often, individuals end up with diabetes because they also have poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle that further aggravates their genetic risk factor.
Knowing that you have a family member with diabetes puts you at risk, but healthy lifestyle changes for blood sugar control can reduce that risk and increases your chances of being totally healthy.
Diabetes is a disorder in blood sugar control due to insufficient production of insulin or the cells have developed insulin resistance.
Ineffective diabetic management can lead to fatal complications affecting the kidneys, liver, heart, eyes, and the nerves.
Diabetes is of two types, Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.
And it turns out that this incurable disease, regardless of what type, runs in families.
According to scientists, there are numerous genes affecting your predisposition to Diabetes.
The most associated genes for Type 1 diabetes are the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) region and the insulin gene.
- The HLA region is composed of a number of genes involved in immune system functions.
These genes work by creating proteins for the immune cells.
The proteins are used by the immune system cells to identify invaders like bacteria and viruses and the body's own cells.
If this process fails, the immune cells attack the cells in the body like those from the pancreas, called an autoimmune reaction.
There are two genes from the HLA region that increases an individual's risk of acquiring Type 1 diabetes from his parents, these genes are the DR and DQ genes.
The DR gene accounts for 40-50% chance of inheriting diabetes. - The insulin gene is the part of the DNA that regulates insulin.
Any change around the insulin gene influences a person's predisposition to Type 1 diabetes.
This gene is responsible for identifying how many calories your body is burning while resting.
Changes or mutations in this gene can slow down the burning of fats and calories, increasing the person's susceptibility to obesity.
There are many other genes responsible involved in Type 2 diabetes.
However, researchers find it very challenging to identify the specific gene mutations which have direct effects on diabetes.
It's true that genetic predisposition to diabetes is very strong.
However, this doesn't mean that diabetes is already inevitable.
More often, individuals end up with diabetes because they also have poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle that further aggravates their genetic risk factor.
Knowing that you have a family member with diabetes puts you at risk, but healthy lifestyle changes for blood sugar control can reduce that risk and increases your chances of being totally healthy.
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