Family histories in Asian and European non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients

Abstract

Family histories of 135 Asian Indian and 146 European NIDD patients attending clinics in Ealing and Hammersmith Hospitals were obtained, using a detailed questionnaire. Forty-five per-cent of Asian and 36% of European patients had a first-degree relative with diabetes. Twenty-eight per-cent of Asians and 20% of Europeans had one diabetic parent. In 10% of Asians and 1% of Europeans, both parents were diabetic (p<0.01). Autosomal-dominant inheritance was seen in 14% of Asians and 4% of Europeans (p<0.01). The higher frequency of diabetes in parents, and the higher frequency of dominantly-inherited diabetes among Asians compared to European NIDD patients, suggest that genetic mechanisms operating in NIDD are different in different ethnic groups.