Is diabetes inherited?
Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes, occurs in about 1 in 300 individuals in the United States and Europe. It is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence but can also occur in adults. Individuals with type 1 diabetes lose the insulin-producing cells in their body through an autoimmune process. This means that the body mistakenly attacks its own cells and kills them. Both genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes, typically occurs in older individuals. People who develop type 2 diabetes may have genetic factors that make them more susceptible to developing diabetes, compared to someone else in the general population, but these specific genetic traits are currently unknown,. Environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise are also believed to increase the chance of developing type 2 diabet
