The incidence of diabetes mellitus in the offspring of diabetic couples. Investigation based on the oral glucose tolerance test.

88 of 137 offspring of 22 adult onset diabetic couples were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (G.T.T.); 35 were found to have a diabetic G.T.T. As 8 were already known as diabetics, 43 of 96 offspring (45%) were found to have diabetes mellitus. Neither the data pertaining to the parents, such as family history, treatment of diabetes or obstetric history, nor the data pertaining to the offspring, such as sex, age, parity or course of pregnancy, could be related to the incidence of diabetes in the offspring. It was noted however, that overweight female, but not male, offspring are more likely to develop diabetes than those who are not overweight (p less than 0.05).