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Various scientific studies have proven that only type 2 diabetes has a hereditary component. To reach this conclusion, research has focused on fraternal twins - whose unique traits have always been an open window on the deepest mysteries of our species and its evolution. Test results have revealed that in monozygotic twins, who share identical DNA, a healthy sibling has more than a 90% chance of developing the disease if the other one is affected.
Scientific studies have highlighted that - unlike type 2 diabetes - there is no automatic genetic cause underlying type 1 diabetes. Indeed, tests on monozygotic twins yield completely different results: there is no transmission between one sibling having type 1 diabetes and the other sibling developing it.
These scientific studies, however, have not shown a direct connection between genes and diabetes. Rather, they have revealed a family predisposition in particular for type 2 diabetes. This means the risk of developing diabetes is higher when a first-degree relative is affected by the disease. Most recent data point to the fact that 25% of people with diabetes have inherited type 2 diabetes from their father.
Unlike other forms of diabetes, maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) may have hereditary origin. Juvenile diabetes usually occurs in people before 25 years of age. According to research, this form of diabetes is 35-40% hereditary in origin. Women with type 2 diabetes also have a higher chance of having children who will in turn develop the disease, compared to the rest of the population - but the figures are almost irrelevant in absolute terms.
A recent research by London's University College and Imperial College has proven the hereditary nature of type 2 diabetes by comparing the genetic maps of 5,800 affected people and almost 9,700 healthy individuals. The study shows that our genetic code includes 111 "hot spots" linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes, which represent the molecular foundation for our predisposition for the disease.
