Who gets Diabetes Mellitus and what are the causes?

Type I diabetes mellitus accounts for 25-30% of all cases of diabetes. It is described as a multifactorial disease that has a highly significant genetic component. The 5-8% concordance in genetically identical twins and the increased prevalence among first degree relatives highlights this. The other components of the disease are still not fully understood, but environmental factors such as viruses have been shown to play an important role.

Type II diabetes mellitus accounts for the majority of all cases of diabetes. It is also described as a multifactorial disease that has an even higher significant genetic component. The 90% concordance in genetically identical twins and the 40% prevalence among first-degree relatives highlights this. The other components of the disease are still not fully understood, but obesity is known to play a major role. A number of drugs have also been shown to have the effect of inducing diabetes, especially in the genetically predisposed.