Do You Have Diabetes Risk Factors?

Are You at Risk for Diabetes?

After much scientific research, several specific characteristics have been identified as diabetes risk factors. I have listed them here so that you can check yourself and see whether you or your loved ones have modifiable risk factors which you can eliminate in order to decrease your chances of developing diabetes. You can reduce or remove many of the risk factors which are under your control by adopting the simple lifestyle changes we discuss on this website.

The more risk factors an individual has, the greater his/her likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. If you have any of the diabetes risk factors listed below, and especially if you have two or more, you should talk to a doctor about how to lower your risk, and request testing for diabetes.

• Family History of Diabetes

  A tendency to develop Type 2 diabetes is much more likely to be inherited than Type 1. Merely having a blood relative with Type 2 diabetes increases your risk, and the risk is higher if that person is a first-degree relative such as a parent, sibling or child. Multiple relatives also suggests greater risk.

• Overweight - Waist size more than 37 inches for women and more than 40 for men
  Being overweight - another one of the common Type 2 diabetes risk factors - can be prevented by regular physical activity. Excess body weight increases diabetes risks. And individuals who are apple-shaped, meaning they carry most of their weight above the hips, are at greater risk of diabetes than those of similar weight with a pear-shaped body (who carry excess fat in the hips and thighs). Apple-shaped individuals are also more likely to go on to develop heart disease and stroke.

  Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple formula used by health professionals to evaluate body weight compared to height for most adults. But people who are very muscular, very athletic, pregnant, nursing, or older than 65 do not fit easily into the usual BMI mold. Nevertheless, for all other adults, a BMI greater than 27 indicates a risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and other health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure and premature death. As you might expect, the higher the BMI, the more significant the diabetes risks.

• Age more than 45 years
  -Advancing age increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Older persons are much more likely to develop diabetes, however this is not inevitable. Older persons who maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle generally do not develop diabetes.

  While most type 2 diabetes occurs in adults, the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has led to an epidemic of type 2 diabetes in this group. This problem is especially seen among children of ethnic minorities.

• Inactive Lifestyle
  People who lead a sedentary lifestyle tend to develop at least two diabetes risk factors - overweight and high blood sugar. Benefits of regular physical activity include weight loss and improved blood sugar control in persons who already have type 2 diabetes. If you want to avoid several diabetes risk factors at once, including high blood pressure and elevated triglycerides, implement a program of moderate to intense exercise at least 5 days out of each week.

• High Blood Pressure greater than 140/90
  Up to 60 percent of people with undiagnosed diabetes have high blood pressure.

• Low HDL less than 35 - 40 or High Triglycerides greater than 250
  Almost half of people with diabetes have abnormal cholesterol levels and other fatty substances circulating in the blood. These abnormalities appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among persons with diabetes. Good cholesterol (HDL) level less than 35 for men or less than 40 for women places the individual at risk.

• Impaired Glucose Tolerance

  
  Impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose are important diabetes risk factors. It is likely that most, if not all persons who develop type 2 diabetes would have shown abnormal glucose tolerance -if they had been tested- prior to a diagnosis of outright diabetes.

  Persons who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for diabetes, but whose blood sugar control and response to sugar loads are abnormal are at higher risk, both for the development of type 2 diabetes (about 10% develop outright diabetes within five years), and for cardiovascular disease. Prevention through lifestyle changes and regular screening for diabetes mellitus is an absolute priority for these persons.

• History of Gestational Diabetes
  It is not known how many women with gestational diabetes develop it during pregnancy as opposed to having pre-existing diabetes. Nevertheless, almost 40 percent of the women who have diabetes during their pregnancy develop outright type 2 diabetes within five to ten years of giving birth. Delivering a baby who weighs more than nine pounds (4 kg), or having an unexplained stillbirth are other symptoms of gestational diabetes.

• Certain Ethnic Groups
  Being of African, Latin American, American Indian or Asian ethnic ancestry increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Risk levels for these groups are between two and six times higher than for people of Caucasian origin.

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