Glucose tolerance and insulin response were examined using a 100 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 108 parents of 23 patients with insulin-dependent (IDDM) and 31 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), whose age of onset of diabetes was less than 35 years. Thirty-two age-matched healthy volunteers without a family history of diabetes were also examined as a control group. Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were significantly more frequent in parents of NIDDM (diabetes 34%, IGT 27%) than in parents of IDDM (diabetes 7%, IGT 13%) (P less than 0.001). At least one parent had diabetes or IGT in 30% of IDDM and 84% of NIDDM patients (P less than 0.001), and both parents had diabetes or IGT in 9% of IDDM and 39% of NIDDM patients (P less than 0.02). Even in cases with 'normal' glucose tolerance, the mean plasma glucose was higher in parents of NIDDM than in control subjects, suggesting a high prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance including the marginal degree of abnormality in the families of NIDDM. The early phase insulin response was decreased more among parents of NIDDM with the greater impairment of glucose tolerance. However, among those with 'normal' glucose tolerance, early phase insulin response did not differ between parents of IDDM and NIDDM, and control subjects. The results confirmed a stronger familial background in NIDDM patients of younger onset than in IDDM. The different patterns of glucose tolerance among two parents of young-onset NIDDM patients suggest heterogeneity of the mode of inheritance of NIDDM among families.