Aspies For Freedom

something i noticed, at least with my family is that we both have alot of autistic traits and have a family history of diabetes.  i know alot of people get diabetes by not eating right, but i know that some people are just going to get diabetes anyway for some reason or another.  i'm thinking that the autism genes may share genes that make people predisposed to diabetes.  i'm just seeing if it's just my family that has this link or if it's more common, because if it is, this could be bad news for certain numbers of us.

Truthfully I have no idea, I haven't heard of this, but as you will know diabetes can be genetic & not.
I can look it up.

Short answer:probably not
Long answer: It's possible, but unlikely. There have been studies done on large numbers of autistic people, and I don't recall any of them finding a link with diabetes(of course, they weren't actually looking for one, but if there had been one it might have popped up)

That said, both autism and diabetes are fantastically complex and affect the whole body. It's not inconceivable to imagine that they share a gene somewhere.

Hello,

I know about 20 to 30 autistic individuals, and none have diabetes. Autism probably runs in my family, yet there has never been a case of diabetes (or even obesity) in traceable history (e.g. within the last 100 years or so), to my knowledge. I think we are one of those families who have a dominant ‘skinny’ gene, in simplest terms . I have seen autistic people who are quite overweight and autistic people who almost look anorexic even though they eat normal amounts of food (myself included).

Will

It is entirely likely that your family has both genetic diabetes and genetic autism.   My family has both as well, though I hadn't thought of the two being linked somehow.  I am not diabetic and I think most of my family is type two, caused on their part by poor eating choices... though there may still be a genetic predisposition as well.

Hello,

I entirely agree with Sarahjoke. I believe that the genes are separate but can (and often do) by chance accompany each other.

Will

As a member of both camps, I’ve given this some thought. My current theory is that Aspergers people are more likely to expose themselves to the type of lifestyle/work environment that makes one more vulnerable to adult onset diabetes. There may not be a linkage between the two genetically, but I think those who do have the diabetic genetics are more likely to succumb to the symptoms if they sit in debilitating boredom for long hours every day.

So, for instance, if you work in an IT profession – like Help Desk, etc – or some other “Heavy Thinking but No Moving” kind of position that you no longer find challenging enough, you are likely to get very little exercise and spend each day eating vending machine snacks out of absolute boredom. This is a good way to cooperate with your possible genetics and begin the strange adventure of Adult Onset Type 2 Diabetes.

Just my guess from my own experiences. I can’t get past the suspicion that many years of multiple Pepsi drinks, bags of Skittles, rolls of Necco Wafers, and being leashed with a telephone headset might all have helped tip the scales. :-)


Jeff Gitchel
jeff@turtlemoon.org
http://turtlemoon.org

There has been quite a bit of research done regarding the possible link between autism and diabetes. A possible connection between the two is due to the thought that both are autoimmune conditions. At the moment (from what I read) there doesn't seem to be clear evidence to support the hypothesis - but it has been suggested  more research needs to be done.

Strange that we both have the same sweet-tooth...

ha ha ha

Who says that autism is an autoimmune condition?

my grandmother, maternal aunt, cousin and I all have diabetes... it is this family side which has Aspergers.  My sister who is a nurse and an NT said.. neurological problems tend to run in families.. this includes a slew of diseases, Meningitis, Lou Ghericks disease, Guillian Beret, diabetes, Aspergers and other similar disorders....  They have now learned that diabetes is a short in the nerve endings of the Islets on the pancreas.... this falls in line with the connection with neurological diseases .... If this is true.. then our family are a great study for this.. I have had a family member die of each one of these diseases in only two generations.

I would include alzheimers which my mother has had for over 20 yrs. All neurologic disorders or diseases. all on my mother's side.

Type two is genetic.. I got it from huge doses of prednisone... obesity will make diabetes II worse but its not the cause.... one can lose the weight and control their blood sugar.. people who are obsese adn do not carrythe diabetes gene do not get diabetes...

I have diabetes.... they feel they now have a cure.... Diabetes was once thought to be an autoimmune system problem..its not.. its a nerve ending problem.. neurological.... it has change the entire course of research as of Novemember last year.

Since I have been diagnosed.. my cousin and I have counted at least 25 people we feel have asperger's in our family in the last two generations.... we believe my grandmothers side is the carrier... I know of some incidients two more generations back to the 1860s that is suspect of asperger's.  In the Czech republic region (moravia).