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Stacey Roman

HLTH 1020

Professor

16 July 2018

Type 2 Diabetes

At the doctor’s office it is normal to be asked about your family history. It gives insight

on the possibility of the patient developing the disease of someone in their family tree. It does

not entirely mean it is in their gene and they will develop the disease. The individual just runs a

higher risk of developing the disease compared to one who doesn’t have the disease in their

family history. Learning about this, I realized I don’t know much about my family history. Going

to the doctor’s office before, my parents would tell me that they have no knowledge of any

disease carried in our family. Today when I go to the doctor’s office, I hesitate to check the

diabetes box because I know minimal about my grandpa’s case of diabetes. I wonder if his type

two diabetes means I have the same chances of developing the disease, how it can develop, and

what are preventative lifestyle choices.

Typically type 1 diabetes is viewed as a more serious case than type 2 diabetes. Due to

this thought I assumed genetics has more to do with type 1 rather than type 2. According to

YourDiabetesInfo, “Diabetes can come from genetics, just like it can come from family habits.

But this is more often a factor in Type I diabetes. If you have family members who have Type I,

your risk goes up simply because you carry the same or similar genes” (YourDiabetesInfo).

Although genetic plays more of a factor with type 1 diabetes, it is also involved with type 2

diabetes. The editors of YourDiabetesInfo discusses an experiment with twins which states,
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“When an identical twin has Type I diabetes, for example, the American Diabetes Association

states that the other twin will only have it a maximum of 50% of the time. When a twin has Type

II diabetes, the risk to the other twin is no higher than 75%.” (YourDiabetesInfo). Analyzing

these percentages, one can see genes plays a factor in both types of diabetes. Understanding how

diabetes correlates with genetics it is important to understand there could be a higher risk of

developing the disease. With knowledge of this possible preexisting factor, one needs to be

aware of other factors that increase the development of the disease.

My grandpa’s case of diabetes developed in his 50’s when he was under stress and had

the diet of ramen soup and diet coke. According to The National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Disease, one has a higher possibility of developing type 2 diabetes if they

are 45 and older, Hispanic/Latino, have high blood pressure, has low level of HDL cholesterol

or high level of triglycerides, and are not physically active (The National Institute of Diabetes

and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ) . It is not a surprise my grandpa developed the disease

considering his lifestyle choices and environment. If he was more conscious of how he was

taking care of his body he could have prevented the disease despite the predisposition in his

genes. Other risk factors include being overweight or obese, family history of diabetes, history of

heart disease or stroke, being African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian

American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander, have depression, history of gestational diabetes

or gave birth to a baby weighing more than pounds, have polycystic ovary syndrome, and have

acanthosis nigricans (The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ).

Looking at all the risk factors I can already notice a higher chance for my brother and I to

develop type 2 diabetes. Although we have a higher chance it does not mean it is unpreventable.
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Out of all his grandchildren, my brother and I spent the most time with our grandfather.

Every weekend he took us to eat Burger King and anything our sweet tooth desired. At the time I

thought he was nicer than my parents who always limited these food choices. I reflect now and

see my parents wanted us to be healthy and my grandpa did not notice how this would affect our

health then and today. I was average for my weight, but my brother was significantly overweight.

His weight never bothered him until he reached his teenage years and feared about contracting

the same disease our grandfather lives with. I remember the panic in his eyes during a moment

where he felt tired all the time, frequent need to urinate, and was starting to question the

darkened skin around his neck and armpits. According to Mayo Clinic these were symptoms of

type 2 diabetes (Mayo Clinic Staff). He was worried that he already contracted the disease and

fell into depression. The sensation lost in his legs at the time made him think that he did have

type 2 diabetes and would have to amputate his legs if the sensation in his legs were gone for

good. Luckily when he went to the doctors about these symptoms he discovered he was negative

for the disease. Either way, to prevent the chances he had to make different life choices. The staff

at Mayo Clinic suggest eating healthy foods, getting physical, and lose excess pounds (Mayo

Clinic Staff). I saw my brother’s diet change within this year. He kept watch of his calorie intake,

stopped eating after hours, reduced intake of junk food and soda to a minimum, started playing

Dance Dance Revolution to become physical, and improved his hygiene. We are all proud of

how he wanted to live this healthy lifestyle. If he didn’t make this change, there would be a

higher risk of contracting the disease and other health complications.

After being diagnosed with diabetes the patient will have to learn how to maintain their

blood glucose between a healthy range such as by becoming more physical and following a diet

that contributes to better health. In a diabetic diet a patient should promote whole grains, nonfat
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or low-fat dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dried beans and peas, foods and

drinks with no added sugar, and fruits and vegetables (University of Rochester Medical Center

Rochester). Having to follow a diabetic diet does not limit one from foods they typically eat.

One just needs to eat things in moderation to prevent blood sugar from rising too long. The

biggest effect on blood glucose level is carbohydrates therefore one should be careful of

consuming too much of it (University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester). It is also

important to not get rid of carbohydrate completely since it is essential for health. Knowing these

guidelines can help a patient plan a meal that will be beneficial for their health. If the disease

goes untreated it can lead to complications such as hardened blood vessels, nerve damage,

kidney damage, eye damage, foot damage, hearing impairment, skin conditions, and Alzheimer’s

disease (Mayo Clinic Staff). Rather than worrying about the complications that can occur and

how to maintain a healthy blood pressure, one can begin living healthier to promote the insulin in

our bodies to be used correctly. Though it may be in my genes, I could improve my overall

health to prevent the gene from being activated.

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References
Mayo Clinic Staff. Type 2 Diabetes. 3 January 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193. 16 July 2018.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes.
November 2016. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/risk-
factors-type-2-diabetes. 16 July 2018.

University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester. Type 2 Diabetes and Food Choices. n.d.
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=56&contentid=DM
113. 16 July 2018.

YourDiabetesInfo. Diabetes and Family History: How Much Risk is Genetic? n.d.
https://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org/familyhistory/. 16 July 2018.