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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.
  • 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 a 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.
  • 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 April 2, 2009.
  2. 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 April 1, 2009.
  3. The dangerous toll of diabetes. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/dangerous-toll.jsp. Accessed April 3, 2009.
  4. Jeerakathil T, et al. Short-term risk for stroke is doubled in persons with newly treated type 2 diabetes compared with persons without diabetes. Stroke. 2007;38:1739.
  5. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: 2009. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/123565990943909Heart%20and%20Stroke%20Update.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2009.
  6. Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2009. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/vol31/Supplement_1/. Accessed April 1, 2009.
  7. What people with diabetes need to know about osteoporosis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Accessed Jan. 9, 2009.
  8. Xu WL, et al. Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease: A population-based cohort study. Diabetologia. In Press. Accessed April 7, 2009.
  9. Launer LJ. Diabetes: Vascular or neurodegenerative: An epidemiologic perspective. Stroke. 2009;40(suppl):S53.
  10. 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.
  11. Screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Rockville, Md.: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2008;148:846.
  12. Estimated average glucose, eAG. American Diabetes Association. http://professional.diabetes.org/GlucoseCalculator.aspx. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  13. Delahanty LM, et al. Nutritional considerations in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2009.
  14. Diabetes and women's sexual health. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/women-sexual-health.jsp. Accessed April 3, 2009.
  15. Denkins DJ, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index or a high cereal fiber diet on type 2 diabetes: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:2742.
  16. Sigal RJ, et al. Effects of aerobic training, resistance training, or both on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2007;147:357.
  17. About omnipod. Omnipod.com. http://www.myomnipod.com/products/. Accessed April 3, 2009.
  18. High blood sugar: Definition, symptoms. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC92D98E-1321-C844-13EB771367A49526. Accessed April 3, 2009.
  19. What is hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome? American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes/treatment-conditions/hhns.jsp. Accessed April 7, 2009.
  20. Smoking. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/smoking.jsp. Accessed April 3, 2009.
  21. Anderson RA. Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2008;67:48.
  22. Baker WL. Effect of cinnamon on glucose control and lipid parameters. Diabetes Care. 2008;31:41.
  23. International Expert Committee. International Expert Committee report on the role of the A1C assay in the diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1.

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June 13, 2009

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