Genes and diabetes
Childhood- and adult-onset diabetes both run in some families. Research shows that people with childhood diabetes often have certain gene variants. But genes cannot be the whole story, as studies of identical twins indicate. If one twin has childhood diabetes, the other (who has identical genes) is affected only one-third of the time. Adult diabetes probably involves several different altered genes. Obesity and a lack of regular exercise can increase the risk of adult-onset but not childhood diabetes.
