Spouses of diabetic patients at higher risk, warns new study

Findings of a new study suggest that a person is more likely to develop type-2 diabetes if the spouse already has the condition.

Researchers from McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Montreal, Canada, have established that the spouse of a diabetic person is 26 per cent more likely to contract type-2 diabetes, which is the type that affects most adult patients.

For the purpose of the study, the researchers examined the results of six studies conducted on the risk factors of diabetes and concluded that spousal diabetes was a potent risk factor.

These studies were conducted in different parts of the world and had collectively analysed 75,498 couples. The Canadian researchers scrutinised the outcomes on parameters like age, socioeconomic status and the method of diagnosis adopted.

"When we talk about family history of type-2 diabetes, we generally assume that the risk increase that clusters in families results from genetic factors. What our analyses demonstrate is that risk is shared by spouses,'' said Dr Kaberi Dasgupta, senior study author and an associate professor of medicine at MUHC.

"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," he added.

The study did not pinpoint the exact cause of spousal diabetes. However, the researchers suggested that poor diet and lack of physical activity may be pervasive in a particular household and may result in the spread of diabetes among family members.

The researchers also asserted that "assortative mating" may play a pivotal role in spousal diabetes. In general, people hunt for partners who possess similar characteristics, attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles to themselves.

The study also established a strong link between a diabetic person and pre-diabetes risk in the spouse. The findings underscore the importance of closely monitoring the health of an individual who has a diabetic spouse.

Findings of the study have been published in the journal BMC Medicine.