Are Children of Type 2s Less Sensitive?
Children of parents with type 2 diabetes have decreased insulin sensitivity reports a study in the June 1997 issue of Diabetes. According to the study, the insulin sensitivity is distributed in this population in a way that suggests (contrary to previous assumptions) that a single gene may be responsible for insulin action.
The children of type 2s had higher levels of free fatty acids, but normal triglyceride and cholesterol levels compared to the control group. For the children of type 2s, these high free fatty acid levels proved to be a better predictor of decreased insulin sensitivity than other common predictors such as age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, triglyceride concentration and fasting glucose concentration.