Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: The Family Genetic History Essay

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Updated: Apr 5th, 2024

Table of Contents

Family genetic history form
Evaluation of family genetic history
Planning for future wellness

This paper aims at analyzing family genetic history of a family, evaluating the impact of the family history on an adult participant’s health and planning a future wellness change to promote the wellness of the family’s health both now and in the future.

Family genetic history form

The form below represents an analysis of a family diabetes mellitus type 2 genetic history.

Family Member	Description
Paternal grandfather First and last initials:	BM
Birth date:	1918
Death date:	2001
Occupation:	Retired as a Mechanic
Education:	6^thgrade
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	He was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis from heavy drinking, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. He died from liver cirrhosis.
Paternal grandmother First and last initials:	MM
Birth date:	1927
Death date:	2005
Occupation:	Retired as a secretary
Education:	Does not want to Disclose
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	She was diagnosed with diabetes, obesity and hypertension. She died from heart attack.
Father First and last initials:	MM
Birth date:	1957
Death date:	2006
Occupation:	Teacher
Education:	Undergraduate Degree
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	He was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension. He died from heart attack.
Father’s siblings (write a brief summary of any significant health issues)	A brother died from chronic diabetes and hypertension and another one is suffering from hypertension.
Maternal grandfather First and last initials:	SN
Birth date:	1922
Death date:	1996
Occupation:	Farmer
Education:	2^ndGrade
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	He was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. He died from stroke.
Maternal grandmother First and last initials:	JN
Birth date:	1930
Death date:	2007
Occupation:	Housewife
Education:	6^thgrade
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	She was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. She died from kidney failure.
Mother’s First and last initials:	EM
Birth date:	1960
Death date:	2010
Occupation:	Lab technician
Education:	Undergraduate
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	She was diagnosed hypertension, obesity and stroke. She died from stroke.
Mother’s siblings	Does not want to Disclose.
Adult Participant First and last initials:	KM
Birth date:	1980
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	Administrator
Education:	Postgraduate
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	He has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension and obesity.
Adult participant’s siblings	One brother has been diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes.
Adult participant’s spouse/significant other First and last initials:	JM
Birth date:	1983
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	Journalist
Education:	Undergraduate
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	She has been diagnosed with hypertension and developed type 1 diabetes during her second pregnancy.
Child #1 first and last initials:	SM
Birth date:	2005
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	NA
Education:	3^rdGrade
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	Suffering from obesity.
Child #2 first and last initials:	MM
Birth date:	2007
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	NA
Education:	2^ndGrade
Primary language:	English
Health summary:	No health complications
Child #3 first and last initials:	FM
Birth date:	2010
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	NA
Education:	NA
Primary language:	NA
Health summary:	Suffering from Obesity
Child #4 first and last initials:	LM
Birth date:	2013
Death date:	NA
Occupation:	NA
Education:	NA
Primary language:	NA
Health summary:	No health complications.

Evaluation of family genetic history

Diabetes mellitus type 2 can be acquired genetically and can be explained through the study of family histories. The table above indicates a situation whereby both paternal grandparents had a health history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension and the maternal grandfather had diabetes mellitus type 2. When both parents have diabetes mellitus type 2, chances of children inheriting the disease are quite. This explains why the participant’s father and one of his brothers were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus 2 and hypertension. A family that is characterized by grandparents and parents having diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension has higher chances of passing it to the next generations.

Family cases that involve both parents having diabetes mellitus type 2, expose the children to a 50 percent risk of inheriting the disease. This case represents itself in the case of the participant’s father who inherited the disease from his parents who had the disease. The age of the onset of the disease parents also matters. In the cases where one of the parents become sick on or before the age of 50, off springs face a high risk of inheriting the condition. The participant is therefore at a high risk of inheriting diabetes mellitus type 2 from his father who became sick before the age of 50.

The environment of the family is also an influencing factor to the disease. This explains why obesity has been replicated in various generations. The family eating environment is characterized by dietary foods that make some members obese hence explaining why the participant has obesity health related issues that have been passed even to the participant’s children.

Planning for future wellness

To promote the wellness of the family now and in the future, diabetes mellitus type 2 is preventable through both natural and medical strategies. Natural methods can be acquired through a change of lifestyle that would encourage the maintenance of age-appropriate body weight through engaging in physical activity. This drives away the obesity condition. The observation of a nutritious diet characterized by low fats, regulated fats and more intakes of water, fluids and fruits is also a natural way of regulating the level of insulin and fat in the body. Medical strategies that include genetic tests at early ages to enable people to learn of their individual vulnerability so as to take necessary precautions can be employed by the participant. This should include the testing of children at early stages of life to know their vulnerability. Lastly, medication at early stages can prevent deaths caused by cardiovascular related disorders. The participant therefore needs to begin medication at an early stage to avoid death related cases as observed in the family history.

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