Spouse with Diabetes Might Increase the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Partner, Study

A team of Canadian researchers says that that spousal diabetes is a strong risk factor for the healthy partner.

Researchers at the McGill University Health Center, Quebec, through meta-analysis of various studies  revealed that the chances of a healthy partner acquiring type 2 diabetes from the diabetic partner is almost 26 percent high.

The finding has wider implications as it will help in early detection of diabetes and will also encourage the couples to work together toward lowering the risk of  development.

"We found a 26% increase in the risk of developing type 2diabetes if your spouse also has type 2 diabetes. This may be a platform to assist clinicians to develop strategies to involve both partners. Changing health behaviour is challenging and if you have the collaboration of your partner it's likely to be easier," Dr. Kaberi Dasgupta, of the Research Institute of the MUHC, said in a statement.

In order to determine whether diabetes in one could lead to diabetes in the other partner, the researchers examined the results of six selected studies that were conducted in various parts of the world. The study considered other factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and the way diabetes was diagnosed. This study was done on 75,498 couples.

The health records of the previous studies were not too accurate on diabetes. Direct blood testing records of the participants showed that the risk of diabetes doubled if the partner suffered from type 2 diabetes. A strong link with pre-diabetes risk was seen too.

"When we look at the health history of patients, we often ask about family history," says Dr. Dasgupta, who is the senior author of the study and also an associate professor of medicine at McGill University. "Our results suggest spousal history may be another factor we should take in consideration."

It was seen that compared to women, men were less likely to go through regular medical evaluation after childhood that can result in delayed detection of diabetes.

"The results of our review suggest that diabetes diagnosis in one spouse may warrant increased surveillance in the other," she says. "Men living with a spouse with diabetes history may particularly benefit from being followed more closely."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the year 2010, nearly 25.8 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes and 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 and above. The prevalence of diabetes is high in older people.

The study was published in BMC Journal Medicine.