Diabetes is a disease that affects the way the body processes glucose. A healthy person produces the pancreatic hormone insulin, which helps to regulate glucose levels during digestion. A person with type 1 diabetes does not produce enough insulin to properly process glucose, while a person with type 2 diabetes either does not have adequate insulin supply or develops insulin resistance. Gestational diabetes, another type of diabetes, can develop between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy because hormones produced during pregnancy can result in insulin resistance. All three types of diabetes lead to a buildup of glucose in the blood, which can lead to complications such as heart disease, retinopathy, neuropathy or kidney disease. In addition to lifestyle risk factors, there are genetic causes of diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes
Although scientists have researched diabetes for hundreds of years, a single cause has yet to be determined. Type 1 diabetes most often affects children. A family history of the disease is almost always present. According to the American Diabetes Association, ADA, often a person inherits the genetic risk factors from both parents. Furthermore, the ADA states that Caucasians are much more likely to develop type 1 diabetes. Not everyone with the familial risk factors for diabetes will develop the disease. Typically an environmental trigger such as climate or an illness causes the disease to develop. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that must be managed through diet and insulin injections. More research is needed to determine the exact cause(s) of type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes
The ADA states that genetic causes for type 2 diabetes are more significant than for type 1 diabetes. A family history of the disease is a major risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes for subsequent generations. However, lifestyle and diet also play a substantial role in its development, both of which are modifiable risk factors. According to the World Health Organization, the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the is in Pima Indians residing in Arizona and in South Pacific Islanders. There is a higher prevalence among Hispanics and African Americans than in Caucasians. In addition, first degree relatives of those with type 2 diabetes are three times more likely to develop the disease. Those suffering from type 2 diabetes have a greater chance of reducing symptoms by living a healthy lifestyle which includes a healthful diet, exercise and weight loss.
Gestational Diabetes
There are several genetic risk factors that contribute to the development of gestational diabetes. Family history plays a role similar to that of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A first degree relative with diabetes puts a woman at higher risk for developing the disease while pregnant. A woman who has prediabetes, the stage before type 2 diabetes, is more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Women over the age of 25 are also at a higher risk of being diagnosed with the disease. The Mayo Clinic states that for unknown reasons, Hispanic, American Indian, African American and Asian women are more likely to develop the disease during pregnancy. However, in most cases, gestational diabetes resolves itself post-partum but a woman who has had gestational diabetes in the past does have a higher chance of developing the disease in subsequent pregnancies.
