Spouse Has Diabetes? You Too can Have It

The chances of developing type 2 diabetes in an individual increase if the spouse is diabetic, says a new study. The research conducted by McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Canada has revealed that for a spouse of a diabetic person, the risk of developing the same disorder is 26 per cent higher.

“When we look at the health history of patients, we often ask about family history. Our results suggest spousal history may be another factor we should take in consideration,” said senior author of the study, Dr Kaberi Dasgupta, researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC and an associate professor of medicine at McGill University.

Though the study did not specify the exact reasons behind the new finding, it says that sharing the same kind of lifestyle, social habits and diet could be some important aspects to be considered behind the risk of spousal diabetes. The study, which analysed six studies involving over 75,000 couples from across the world, looked at key points such as age, socio-economic status and genetics.

Dasgupta also said, “The results of our review suggest that diabetes diagnosis in one spouse may warrant increased surveillance in the other.”

The study also suggested that further work is needed to be done for a better understanding of couple risk factor.

The findings of the study were published in journal BMC Medicine.

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Source-Medindia