Importance of family history in type 2 black South African diabetic patients

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the family history of diabetes in type 2 black South African diabetics with emphasis on the parental phenotype. DESIGN Prospective case-control study in which family histories were obtained from patients. SETTING Diabetic clinic of a provincial teaching hospital in the Transkei region of South Africa. SUBJECTS A total of 1111 type 2 diabetics attending the diabetic clinic and 687 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES History of diabetes in parents, siblings, maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, and uncles. RESULTS Altogether 27.3% of diabetic subjects had a family history of diabetes compared with 8.4% in the control group (pCONCLUSION These data suggest that type 2 diabetes is heritable in black South African diabetics. It is also likely that maternal influences may play an important part.