Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease. Just like any kind of diabetes disease, it’s characterized by high glucose levels in the blood. However, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body cannot respond to insulin and eventually is not capable of producing enough of it.
It’s interesting to note that type 2 diabetes is the most common diabetes. About 95% of individuals with diabetes are suffering from type 2 diabetes. Considering the huge percentage of individuals suffering from type 2 diabetes, you might wonder if it’s genetic.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that can be passed down to children. It has a hereditary component and is, therefore, genetic. Children are most likely to develop type 2 diabetes if the mother has it.
Now, if it’s the father who has type 2 diabetes there’s only a 30% chance that the children will inherit it. Hence, the chances are higher if the mother has it. With both parents suffering from type 2 diabetes, the risk factor for children increases to 70%.
According to Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, the most susceptible gene identified with type 2 diabetes is TCF7L2 since it reduces the secretion of insulin.
Other genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes are ABCC8, CAPN10, GCGR, and GLUT2. Suffice it to say, some people are genetically predisposed to the disease.
