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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Researchers don't fully understand why some people develop type 2 diabetes and others don't. It's clear that certain factors increase the risk, however, including:

  • Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.
  • Fat distribution. If your body stores fat primarily in your abdomen, your risk of type 2 diabetes is greater than if your body stores fat elsewhere, such as your hips and thighs.
  • Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
  • Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
  • Race. Although it's unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than whites are.
  • Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45. That's probably because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.
  • Prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Left untreated, prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes.
  • Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms), you're also at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Complications Causes
References
  1. Diabetes mellitus (DM). The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch158/ch158b.html#sec12-ch158-ch158b-1105. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
  2. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011:34:S11.
  3. McCulloch DK, et al. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
  4. Your guide to diabetes: Type 1 and type 2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/index.htm. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
  5. McCulloch DK. Initial management of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
  6. McCulloch DK, et al. Prediction and prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2011.
  7. Screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/type2/type2rs.htm. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
  8. Diabetes statistics. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
  9. What people with diabetes need to know about osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Conditions_Behaviors/diabetes.asp. Accessed Feb. 22, 2011.
  10. Helzner EP, et al. Contribution of vascular risk factors to the progression in Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology. 2009;66:343.
  11. Bainbridge KE. Diabetes and hearing impairment in the United States: Audiometric evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 to 2004. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;149:1.
  12. Baker WL, et al. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:41.
  13. Balk EM, et al. Effect of chromium supplementation on glucose metabolism and lipids. 2007;30:2154.
  14. Huxley R, et al. Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009;169:2053.
  15. Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/hyperosmolar-hyperglycemic.html. Accessed Feb. 27, 2011.
  16. Diabetic ketoacidosis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001363. Accessed Feb. 24, 2011.
  17. Frye RL, et al. A randomized trial of therapies for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:2503.
  18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Use of hepatitis B vaccine for adults with diabetes mellitus: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2011:60;1709.
DS00585 Jan. 25, 2012

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