Diabetes

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Genetics play an important part in the development of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The most common of the two types of diabetes is type 2. Type 2 diabetes is being observed in the younger generation. It has becoming increasingly common in younger children, but the genes that are responsible for causing it are scarcely defined.("Genetic Factors in Type 2 Diabetes") What we do have well knowledge of is that the disease is a result of one gene mutating. In type 2 diabetes many genes are said to be involved in the developing of the disease, we just are not sure which gene it is that is being mutated.(1,4) However, the risk of having the disease is affected by your siblings or parents having it. Immediate relatives to individuals with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of getting the condition rather than a person with no relative with diabetes. If the mother of the father has diabetes then the grandchild has a fifteen percent risk of having type 2 diabetes, but if both the father and the mother of the offspring have diabetes then the offspring's risk would increase by seventy-five percent chance of being affected with the condition. On the other hand, if the offspring were to have a sibling that was a non-identical twin with diabetes it would have a ten percent chance of being affected, but if it had an identical twin the risk would increase by ninety percent. Type 2 diabetes is known to run in families, but as to how it is inherited is not really specified. Scientists think that some environmental factors act as accelerators to diabetes, increasing the development. Some genes, known as susceptibility genes increases the risk of developing diabetes to individuals that carry the genes. ("Diabetes and Genetics") A way to find this gen... ... middle of paper ... ...another huge factor that affect diabetes. If an individual with diabetes is being overwhelmed with stress, their body responds to it through threat, causing stress to go throughout the body sending the glucose levels through the roof. With stress comes the risk of heart conditions, strokes, and mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, so if the stress levels are low then the risk of these other health concerns are low.("Diabetes and Genetics") Sleep is also a necessity to have with having type 2 diabetes, because sleep deprivation causes behavioral side effects. Lack of sleep is also linked up to obesity and other diabetes development.(Ershow) In conclusion, the we have knowledge about the molecular mechanisms linking environmental factors and type 2 diabetes is limited. ("Epigenetics: A Molecular Link Between Environmental Factors and Type 2 Diabetes")

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