Familial Genetic Testing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Familial Genetic Testing Assignment - Essay Example Genetic and environmental factors are responsible for occurrence of type 1 diabetes. Even though the exact causes are not yet known, many factors that relates to biological body structure or to a person’s external environment have been associated with risks of type 1 diabetes. Genetic factors to type 1 diabetes relates to HLA genes in the body. The genes form complexes among themselves and help the body’s immune system to distinguish between body’s proteins and foreign proteins to the body. The immune system then destroys foreign proteins. Certain complexes of these genes however fail to distinguish the proteins and leads to destruction of insulin. The percentage of type 1 diabetes incidences that result from the genetic factor is however low because only five percent of people with the gene complexes suffers from the complication (Genetic Home Reference 1). Probability of suffering from the complication, based on genes also supports the theory of genetic cause. This is because a person whose close relative suffers from type 1 diabetes has a six percent chance of being a victim while a person who does not have a close relative suffering from the complication has as low as 0.05 percent of being a victim (National Health Services 1). Other factors such as â€Å"viral infections, nutritional exposures, perinatal factors, childhood growth† among other environmental factors have been associated with the disease as moderators (Eisenbarth 267). Major symptoms of the type 1 diabetes are a feeling of itchiness around genital areas, impaired vision, muscle pain, and skin infection. Based on the role of genes and environmental factors, genetic factors account for a significant percentage of the symptoms than environmental factors. This is because of the secondary scope of environmental factors to the symptoms. Urine test and blood test exist for confirming diagnosis based on observed symptoms. There is no curative treatment for type