title: Parental history of diabetes in an insulin-treated diabetes registry.
abstract: To confirm observations of an excess maternal transmission of Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus in a setting which minimizes potential biases and confounders, we explored the patterns of maternal and paternal diabetes in a cohort (n = 1775) of subjects with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) in Tasmania, Australia. In order to identify individuals with Type 1 diabetes or insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes, cases were classified into groups based on their age at diagnosis and subsequent time to commencement of insulin. Individuals initially diagnosed younger than age 30 (predominantly Type 1 diabetes cases) reported a similar percentage of mothers and fathers with diabetes, but individuals diagnosed at age 30 or older (predominantly insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes) reported a maternal excess of diabetes. Having an elevated body mass index was associated with a higher frequency of maternal diabetes, but not of paternal diabetes. Because both childhood-onset Type 1 diabetes and adult-onset insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes cases were subject to the same potential study biases, these results offer support for an excess maternal role in Type 2 diabetes transmission.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Blizzard
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Senator
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zimmet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015982:Bias; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005220:Fathers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013648:Tasmania / Q000453:epidemiology