INFOGRAPHIC

Type 1 Diabetes: Family History and Risk

Reviewed by Tama Porter, M.D.
December 19, 2024
Did you know? Someone has up to a 15x greater risk of developing type 1 diabetes if they have a 1st-degree relative who has the condition. A 1st-degree relative is a parent, sibling, or child. Source: Parkkola A. and Härkönen T., et al. Extended family history of type 1 diabetes and phenotype and genotype of newly diagnosed children. (2013) Diabetes Care.

Family history of type 1 diabetes puts a person at higher risk. According to research, having a parent, sibling, or child with type 1 diabetes increases one’s risk about eight to 15 times more than the general population.

Calculating individual risk can get complicated. For example, having a father with the condition carries a higher risk than having a mother with it. A child’s risk may be higher if their parent developed type 1 diabetes before age 11, or if both parents have it.

Experts believe that risk factors are inherited, but developing the disease is not a given if you have a family history.

In fact, about 90% of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes don’t have a family history, according to the American Diabetes Association.

If someone in your family has type 1 diabetes, you may consider getting others screened. Screening can lead to early detection, which can help reduce the risk of serious complications.