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Ms. Toad

(37,350 posts)
47. Way too many people have bought into the idea that weight and diabetes are inherently linked.
Fri Jul 18, 2025, 01:05 PM
Jul 18

They aren't. It is strongly hereditary - much more strongly caused by heredity than by weight, and there are probably multiple varieties of at least T2 diabetes, but doctors treat them all identically.

Both my family and my spouse's have diabetes.

My maternal grandfather - and everyone who is descended from him who is my age or older - has diabetes. It is a pretty benign version of diabetes (not linked to heart disease, regardless of cholesterol levels (not a single heart attack or other heart disease; my current cardiac calcification score is 0% calcification - and I have high cholesterol); not linked to weight (the BMI range in the individuals with diabetes ranges from underweight to obese). I am not aware of any A1C in the bunch that was ever higher than 8.0 on less-than-maximum metformin as the sole medical treatment. Pre-COVID, all I had to do to have a normal A1C was watch what I eat. That applied at any weight- including when I was obese. (COVID messed up my ability to control it entirely by eating, but my last A1C was 7.1 - high for me, but still within an acceptable range for my age.)

My spouse's maternal grandmother had diabetes. While it is not as universal in her descendants, many have it. It is anything but benign. My spouse's A1C is currently 10.1. She is skinny as a rail, and on three diabetes medications (Januvia, glimiperide, and metformin), and her A1C has not been less than 9 for over 2 years. Her sister is faring better on control - but also skinny as a rail. Grandmother was in the normal weight range.

I don't know the entire family history of a friend of mine, but she has been obese nearly all of her life with zero signs of diabetes - until cancer destroyed her pancreas. Post pan-can, she is T3 diabetes.

It may well be that some diabetes is linked to weight - there is certainly a statistical correlation, but (1) a statistical correlation doesn't mean that everyone who is overweight will become diabetic and (2) even you fall in the group contributing to the statistics, it is likely some underlying genetic makeup gave you a predisposition to both, rather than that the weight caused the diabetes (and there will be people who are overweight - like my friend - who don't have the underlying genetic makeup and will never get diabetes absent something like pancreatic cancer, and people like my spouse who become diabetic despite being underweight).

Recommendations

6 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Great post Prairie Gates Jul 18 #1
kick Baitball Blogger Jul 18 #2
A very valuable perspective! benfranklin1776 Jul 18 #3
I equate it to a person who had been poisoned, beat to death and death certificate stating "Heart Stopped" when LiberalArkie Jul 18 #22
Apt analogy! 🙌🏼 benfranklin1776 Jul 18 #42
Or better yet, from an actual Arkansas case of a body found down the road from me LiberalArkie Jul 18 #51
Seriously? the coroner put that on the death certificate?😲🙄 mwmisses4289 Jul 18 #60
Yep, during the Clinton administration. We had a lot of shady stuff going on.. LiberalArkie Jul 18 #63
OMG you have GOT to post that story. Was Trump the coroner? Callie1979 Jul 18 #77
I believe this was back in 1992. There was a lot going on in Arkansas at that time and sadly very little on internet LiberalArkie Jul 18 #82
I'm thinking CHF. We shall see. flying_wahini Jul 18 #4
If you have CHF your body retains fluid. That means the whole body, right? Katinfl Jul 18 #12
Due to a failing heart, I had fairly severe fluid retention. BobTheSubgenius Jul 18 #33
I've had CHF for ca 10 yrs now; I'm 10+ yrs older than That Person. No Vested Interest Jul 18 #81
outstanding! NJCher Jul 18 #83
His mind IS going 1st. maxsolomon Monday #103
Me too Deep State Witch Jul 18 #28
That's my best guess. A lot of those symptoms are plainly visible. Pacifist Patriot Jul 18 #44
It has never occured to me KentuckyWoman Jul 18 #5
My mother got varicose veins as a result of all the time she spent on her feet as an RN. Ocelot II Jul 18 #14
Baghdad Barbie described Trump's chronic venous insufficiency as Ocelot II Jul 18 #6
Ed Zachary (exactly) PCIntern Jul 18 #7
Maybe Timewas Jul 18 #9
I still say he's probably diabetic (the reason for Diet Coke all the time). llmart Jul 18 #65
Actually Timewas Jul 18 #73
Because he is at stage 3, at a minimum, more likely stage 4 (of 6) Ms. Toad Jul 18 #34
Not to mention, if he isn't at least prediabetic TexasBushwhacker Jul 18 #38
Way too many people have bought into the idea that weight and diabetes are inherently linked. Ms. Toad Jul 18 #47
100% True.... sdfernando Jul 18 #49
Mattel recently released diabetic Barbie. soldierant Jul 18 #92
MTM had type 1 diabetes. ShazzieB Saturday #93
Thanks for the info/nt sdfernando Saturday #100
Fair enough n/t TexasBushwhacker Jul 18 #50
My ex was diabetic. llmart Jul 18 #66
"Strongly" isn't "always" Ms. Toad Jul 18 #67
I don't understand ... Mossfern Jul 18 #69
With an A1C of 6.2, your average blood glucose is around132. Ms. Toad Jul 18 #71
Heart not related Mossfern Jul 18 #79
Fret away, then. Ms. Toad Jul 18 #87
Thank you, my dear PCIntern! VERY well said. CaliforniaPeggy Jul 18 #8
Soooo... we should expect that his ankles should not be swollen at times - usually in the morning? ihaveaquestion Jul 18 #10
Not necessarily. Ms. Toad Jul 18 #35
The odds are very low in deed. flashman13 Jul 18 #11
A question about your condition. Old Crank Jul 18 #13
Yes but I have trouble wearing them PCIntern Jul 18 #18
I get that Old Crank Jul 18 #21
I switched the compression stockings to normal knee-heighth soccer (football) socks. erronis Jul 18 #26
😂😂😂😂 PCIntern Jul 18 #58
I don't feel as 'constricted' and they are cotton which is more comfortable than that spandex/nylon/whatever. erronis Jul 18 #64
I don't wear mine either. Same reason. yardwork Jul 18 #55
There is little doubt he has mutliple things going on. His paraphasias, disorientation, wide right leg swing, hlthe2b Jul 18 #15
Ty for sharing SheltieLover Jul 18 #31
I can't remember which year it was, but Trump's physicals in his first term were mostly lies. Lonestarblue Jul 18 #16
6'3" and 224lbs?!? (imagine me snorting in derision) mwmisses4289 Jul 18 #62
I have cardiovascular disease and have had pulmanary embolisms 3 times in my 82 years appleannie1 Jul 18 #17
I'm a little younger - but had a PE (from birth control) -- TBF Jul 18 #70
I believe its symptom of his heart failing nowforever Jul 18 #19
As an RN with 37 years working in a hospital TNNurse Jul 18 #20
Will cult members start stuffing the tops of their socks with Kleenex? Grumpy Old Woman Jul 18 #23
Would not surprise me at all. nt Callie1979 Saturday #99
Yes, whatever they're admitting to the reality is far worse. BannonsLiver Jul 18 #24
Thanks for that explanation. milestogo Jul 18 #25
My first thought when I read "chronic venous insufficiency" AllyCat Jul 18 #27
Right...he has chronic venous insufficiency, but they aren't saying from what. PortTack Jul 18 #29
Thank you for the info! I agree... FirstLight Jul 18 #30
;-{) Goonch Jul 18 #32
Yikes! Any ideas about this poor abused shoe? Bluebelle76 Jul 18 #74
on another thread NJCher Jul 18 #84
The odd-looking shoes are on account of his cloven hooves. Ocelot II Jul 18 #88
And learn how to tie a shoe, FFS. maxsolomon Monday #104
Thank you! great post! mountain grammy Jul 18 #36
Of the issues I have with TACOman, this is the least of them. progressoid Jul 18 #37
it is important NJCher Jul 18 #86
So the upshot is... swong19104 Jul 18 #39
If you're asking for advice Warpy Jul 18 #40
Actually I wasn't but thanks anyway PCIntern Jul 18 #45
I'm actually a lot more concerned about his mental illness Bluetus Jul 18 #41
I don't have your level of expertise, but I have just enough medical knowledge to have reached the same Vinca Jul 18 #43
howdi. AllaN01Bear Jul 18 #46
Yeah, they totally lied. lark Jul 18 #48
He deserves to receive evil thoughts and words JustAnotherGen Jul 18 #53
Heart failure seems likely, but diagnosis would require truth and science... pat_k Jul 18 #52
I suspected they came up with the "mildest" diagnosis mcar Jul 18 #54
Nice school there. PCIntern Jul 18 #56
Some of my husband's former students mcar Jul 18 #57
Satan clearly isn't ready for him yet Bluestocking Jul 18 #59
Great post. There's no way the just did all the testing you detailed underpants Jul 18 #61
Thank God. We finally have some hope Saoirse9 Jul 18 #68
Sadly for us, even if it is some stage of heart failure... pat_k Jul 18 #72
Always recall that JD Vance is current VP; I do not want to wish him as Pres. of USA No Vested Interest Jul 18 #78
Yes, likely Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). BlueWavePsych Jul 18 #75
I totally agree with this statement: CrispyQ Jul 18 #76
'Long COVID" can cause Vascular issues. mackdaddy Jul 18 #80
My sil's grandmother always had swollen ankles, (from the first time we met 20 years ago) and she always cksmithy Jul 18 #85
Rumor has it the doctors gave him 6 months Sessuch Jul 18 #89
I'm sure that's 6 months too many for Melania dflprincess Jul 18 #91
NoShit.,,nt pbmus Jul 18 #90
The fact that there even was a health report on TSF tells me: Aussie105 Saturday #94
Maybe his bone spurs need be removed jimmy the one Saturday #95
I'm a retired nurse tavernier Saturday #96
Thank you for this post! EuterpeThelo Saturday #97
If it were so benign, stollen Saturday #98
Exactly... PCIntern Sunday #101
So there's more to the story. stollen Monday #102
K&R spanone Monday #105
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