Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.

It is possible to develop Type 2 Diabetes with or without the risk factors listed below. But, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include:

Sedentary Lifestyle and Poor Dietary Patterns

Type 2 diabetes is very common in the US. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 23.6 million Americans have diabetes. A major risk factor is the typical American or Westernized lifestyle, which is characterized by:

• Lack of physical activity
• High-calorie, high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet

A study published in the journal Diabetes Care reported that having a high intake of certain foods can put you at risk for diabetes. For example, the people in the study ate a lot of red meat, low-fiber breads and cereals, eggs, cheese, among other types of food. Talk to your doctor about healthy food choices for you.

Sleep Problems

Having sleep problems may put you at an increased risk for diabetes. Sleep problems include having difficulty falling asleep, having difficulty staying asleep, sleeping too long (eg, over nine hours), or not sleeping enough (eg, less than five hours).

Excess Weight and Obesity

Carrying excess weight, especially in the upper body and abdomen, increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. The risk is greatest in overweight young adults and people who have been overweight for a long time.

The latest research has shown marked increases in type 2 diabetes among overweight children. Until recently, this disease was rarely found in people under the age of 40.

Insulin is a hormone made in the body. It is needed to move glucose from the blood to body tissue. The tissues of overweight or Overweight people can become less sensitive to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes and contribute significantly to many of its complications.

Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions, some of which are related to being overweight and/or having a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle, also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These include:

• Cholesterol problems (low HDL "good" cholesterol and Hyperlipidemia )
• High Blood Pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Gestational Diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy), or having had a baby weighing nine pounds or more at birth
• Prediabetes (when blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to meet the criteria for diabetes)
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or other condition associated with insulin resistance
• Low birth weight
• Drug-induced diabetes from taking certain medicines (eg, pentamidine, nicotinic acid, glucocorticoids, thazides)
• Endocrine disorders (eg, Cushing's Syndrome , Hyperthyroidism , pheochromocytoma, acromegaly, glucagonoma)
• Genetic diseases (eg, Down Syndrome , Porphyria , Hemochromatosis , Turner Syndrome , Klinefelter Syndrome )

Age

If you are aged 45 or older, the ADA recommends screening. Regardless of age, though, if you are overweight and have other risk factors (eg, family history of diabetes, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure), then you should be screened for diabetes. Overweight children who are aged 10 or older should be screened, as well.

Ethnic Background

In the US, people of the following ethnic groups are at greater risk of type 2 diabetes:

• African American
• Hispanic American
• Pima Indian
• Native American
• Asian American
• Pacific Islander

Many people in these groups have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes when they do not live in a Westernized culture.

Genetics

Having family members with type 2 diabetes increases your risk of the disease. The general American population has a 1 in 9 lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If your brother, sister, mother, or father develops type 2, your risk is doubled-to a 1 in 4 chance of developing the condition.