Know Your MODY (it doesn’t rhyme with body)
March 17th, 2008 by Steve
This is the next in a series of article excerpts by me discussing all forms of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This article was originally published November 5th, 2007 in the Caller Times and reposted here with permission.
By now most of us have heard that there are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. By far, the majority of all persons with diabetes (about 85%) have type 2 diabetes. This used to be called adult-onset diabetes or non-insulin dependent diabetes. These latter two terms are outdated and no longer relevant. We now know that kids can get “adult” diabetes even before they become teenagers, plus persons with type 2 diabetes often require insulin injections to survive the longer they have the condition.
But there is another form of diabetes that the public is incredibly unaware of. This type of diabetes is estimated to account for up to 5% of all cases of diabetes. It’s called Maturity Onset Diabetes of Youth, better known as MODY. MODY is a genetic form of diabetes that is passed down from one generation to the next. A mother or father with MODY diabetes will pass it to either a son or daughter. Because it is a dominant genetic condition, this means there will be a direct chain of inheritance up the family tree (grandparent to parent to child). Persons with MODY can be of any weight, even though originally it was described in only thin persons. Our obesity epidemic has made diagnosis of this form of diabetes a lot trickier.
The reason why patients should know if they have MODY is that there is a 50% chance of passing the condition on to their children and grandchildren. That information alone could be invaluable to the future health of the child in regards to earlier diagnosis and treatment which would lower the risk of long term diabetes complications. Once you know whether you have a MODY form of diabetes, the MODY gene tests can be done long before diabetes ever occurs in a child.
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April 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I have heard of MODY, but you’re so right; it’s not talked about much at all. Good idea to blog about it and help awareness!
May 5th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I have heard of MODY, but the girl I knew had what she called MODY3. What does the number stand for?
May 11th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hi Emmy - my best guess is that your friend was referring to a genetic mutation form of diabetes. This is the most common form in those w Euro ancenstry. The MODY link at the end of the article takes you to Wikipedia. There is a nice description of MODY3 which includes a heads up that your friend might not have to use insulin early on but will most likely end up on insulin.
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maturity_onset_diabetes_of_the_young#MODY_3:_hepatocyte_nuclear_factor_1.CE.B1
“This is the form of MODY which can most resemble ordinary type 1 diabetes, and one of the incentives for diagnosing it is that insulin may be discontinued or deferred in favor of oral sulfonylureas. Some people treated with insulin for years due to a presumption of type 1 diabetes have been able to switch to pills and discontinue injections. Long-term diabetic complications can occur if the glucose is not adequately controlled.”
May 15th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
She DOES live in Canada…
And she was hypoglycemic before being diagnosed with MODY 3 Thanks!!
June 5th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
My husband at the age of 35 passed away from complications from MODY. We didn’t know at the time
that he had MODY….I had 4 of my kids genetically tested after he died one of my 4 children tested positive.
He was 11 and was asymptomatic, now he is 15 and his A1c’s have been increasingly rising. We have not
treated him with medications yet, he is trying to control it with diet. We know that medication will be
inevitable in the future.
I am soooo thankful that they discovered this type of diabetes and that they understand the complexities
of it. It is unfortunante that my late husband was treated like a regular type 1 diabetic, I believe that
contributed to his early demise. I am learning everything I possibly can about this terrible disease, my son
is a 5th generation MODY carrier and I will do anything I can to change the course of our families history.
I am very knowledgeble about this diease from first hand experience….but I get VERY frustrated when work
ing with my sons doctors, I don’t think they understand. I would love to have a chat with somebody who
really understands this so I can prevent all of the complications my husband had to go through with my son.
June 6th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I’m glad this is getting discussed. I’m a very experienced endocrinologist and even I must tell many of my patients when their diabetes is first discovered that I may not have a solid diagnosis of the type or form of diabetes for several weeks, maybe longer. The biggest challenge is getting docs to be more aware that MODY can be tested for when the circumstances call for it. I have seen patients get off insulin for years once they were diagnosed, and managed with oral agents. But as many of you know, some MODY types are progressive and insulin (and unfortunately complications of diabetes) could still lie ahead.
Janelle, if you want to speak with me, I can be reached at “Stephen.Ponder @ dchstx.org”