Influence of a familial history of diabetes on the clinical characteristics of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabet Med. 2000 Jul;17(7):538-42. doi: 10.1046/j.1464-5491.2000.00330.x.

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate the roles of maternal and paternal diabetes and diabetes in relatives other than parents on the clinical characteristics in Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: A total of 2,113 Type 2 diabetic patients were recruited, and those with diabetic mothers, diabetic fathers, diabetic relatives other than parents and no known diabetic relatives, were considered separately.

Results: The prevalence of diabetes in the mother, father and other relatives was 25.5, 6.5 and 21.2%, respectively. No difference in the clinical characteristics was found in patients with diabetes in the mother or father. Patients with parental diabetes were significantly younger, with higher LDL-cholesterol, prevalence of retinopathy and lower age at diabetes diagnosis than those without familial diabetes; on multiple logistic regression, only age (P = 0.0003), age at diabetes diagnosis (P = 0.0014) (inverse association), and LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.030) remained significantly associated with parental diabetes. Patients with diabetic relatives other than parents displayed significantly higher total and LDL-cholesterol, prevalence of retinopathy and lower age at diabetes diagnosis that those with no known diabetic relatives; on multiple logistic regression, only age at diabetes diagnosis was inversely associated with diabetes in relatives other than parents (P = 0.013).

Conclusions: The data do not indicate a different influence of maternal and paternal diabetes on the clinical characteristics of Type 2 diabetic patients, while there is evidence that parental diabetes brings to an earlier onset of the disease and higher LDL-cholesterol values; the presence of diabetes in relatives other than parents constituted a small risk for earlier manifestation of the disease.

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Aged
  • Blood Pressure
  • C-Peptide / blood
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Cholesterol, LDL / blood
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / physiopathology*
  • Family
  • Fathers
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mothers
  • Nuclear Family
  • Prevalence
  • Regression Analysis

Substances

  • C-Peptide
  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Cholesterol