Re: Diabetic Siblings

I wonder if this is something anyone else has delt with:

My brother [ 7 years older than I am ], was diagnosed with type 1 six months before I was. We tested the environment around our home to see if it had something to do with the land/mold growth. Everything came back negative.

I wonder if we're a super-rare case of adult type-1s. Or maybe there were other unfortunate siblings out there like he and I.

Any feedback?

Hi Gina -

Many doctors will tell you that type 2 diabetes is the genetic type and type one is the random type. However, there are specific HLA haplotypes that have been proven to be associated with type 1 diabetes and these are heritable. My brother was diagnosed 10 years after I was. I know a host of other people with at least one sibling with type 1 diabetes. Sometimes they aren't diagnosed until they are much older (30-60 years). Whats more, people with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of having children with type 1 diabetes (3% for women with T1DM and 7% for men with T1DM). These statistics may prove to be higher as they were derived by the old criteria for diagnosis (type 1 used to be diagnosed based on high blood sugar and age <18 years old).

The rate of new onset type 1 diabetes in adults is increasing as well. The cause remains to be determined and is a source of many studies. There are several sibling studies going on right now and it is worthwhile to look into them for you and your family. Someday we will understand why and how, but for now, we can only accept that it is what it is.

I'm sorry this happened for your family but I've actually found that this commonality has brought my brother and I closer.

i was told there both genetic

I have two children and they are both type 1 diabetics.  My son was diagnosed in October and my daughter was just diagnosed.  According to what I have been told and read there is a 5% chance of siblings being diabetic.  But as I have joined groups and such it seems it is more common than what is said.

I have had diabetes for 11 years and my little brother was diagnosed 6 months before me.

We have another brother too, he is still diabetes free!

My little brother was diagnosed a year after I was

same here Katie. i was diagnosed 2 years after my little brother and my older sister is diabetes free! My doc said that type 1 is mainly genetic but a little unpredictable. Also, that if a sibling is diagnosed your chances increase up to 6% of also being diagnosed.