What increases your risk of type 2 diabetes?
If you don't exercise, are seriously overweight, or have a host of family members with type
2 diabetes, the odds that you, too, will develop the disease become increasingly likely.
That risk only grows as you get older, especially after age 45, according to the Joslin Diabetes
Center.
And type 2 diabetes is on the rise: According to the American Diabetes Association, more
than 84 million adults in the United States have prediabetes, and nearly half of all American
adults have either prediabetes or diabetes.
You may already know that controlling your weight is one important factor in managing
your type 2 diabetes risk.
The Mayo Clinic notes that the more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant to the
hormone insulin you become.
(Insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.)
Luckily, even a small reduction in weight can help lower your risk: The National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) suggests trying to lose about 5 to
10 percent of your body weight — for a 200-pound person, about 10 or 20 pounds — to help
prevent prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes.
Controlling your risk of type 2 diabetes is important because once a person develops type
2 diabetes, they may face a number of related health issues, including heart disease.
Indeed, the American Heart Association (AHA) notes that at least 68 percent of people age
65 or older who have diabetes die from some form of heart disease.
That's because the insulin resistance that is a major part of diabetes can put you at
risk for a number of other conditions, including high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol
levels, according to the AHA.
Overall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that people with type
2 diabetes are twice as likely to die from heart disease as those without diabetes.
Controlling your weight is not the only way you can mitigate your risk of developing type
2 diabetes.
Diabetes is a complicated disease, and researchers continue to discover evidence that the risk
factors are more varied and complex than once thought.
While lesser-known risk factors may not be as well established as overweight or inactivity,
they point to the importance of taking diabetes screening and prevention seriously, especially
in light of other health conditions you or your family members might be facing.
If you have questions about any of these risk factors, be sure to talk to your doctor so
you can develop the best diabetes prevention plan.
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