Is diabetes a genetic disorder?

Diabetes is partially a genetic disorder. Environmental factors along with the diet consumed play major roles in a diabetes diagnosis, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetics inherit specific risk factors. If both parents possess these risk factors or are diabetic, the likelihood of a diabetes diagnosis is high.

There are cases of diabetes in identical twins where one is diabetic and the other is not. This is due to the varying lifestyles and how prevalent the risk factors in regard to cells being present in the body. The Genetics Home Reference also notes that the performance of the pancreas in individuals plays a major role in diabetes as it processes insulin in the body.