Type Two Diabetes Risk Factors

Type two diabetes is a condition that is not fully understood. What is known is that there are risk factors which can increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. In this article we will talk about the main risk factors in developing type two diabetes. The more risk factors that apply to you, the greater your risk of developing diabetes.

Ethnic origin

If you are of south Asian origin or African-Caribbean origin you are 5 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone who is Caucasian. It is not known why this is but means that people of south Asian origin or African-Caribbean origin need to be particularly careful at controlling other diabetes risk factors such as their weight.

Family History

Type 2 diabetes often runs in the family. If you have a close relative such as a parent or brother/sister who has type 2 diabetes you are more likely to develop the condition.

Age

Unfortunately the older you are the greater your risk of developing type two diabetes. This may be due to the fact that people exercise less and put on weight as they become older but even if an elderly person is thin, they still may be predisposed to developing diabetes. This may be because as we age, our cells age and become more resistant to insulin.

Overweight or obese

There seems to be a strong link between excess body fat and type two diabetes. For people who are overweight or obese the cells in their body become less responsive to insulin over time. 80% of people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese and have a large waist.

Asian men with a waist size of 35 inches (90cm) or more and white or black men with a waist size of 37 inches (94cm) or over are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Women are thought to be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they have a waist size of 31.5 inches (80cm) or over.

Being overweight is one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes which you can do something about.

Exercise and Activity

Inactivity and being overweight are obviously linked. We've mentioned above the risk of developing diabetes due to being overweight. Increasing activity and exercise not only contributes to losing weight which reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes but also helps directly. Muscle cells have more insulin receptors than fat cells, so by exercising a person can decrease their insulin resistance. Being more active also lowers blood glucose (sugar) levels by helping insulin to be used better.

Exercising is something we can all do and can help in many ways to reduce the risk of developing type two diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

We've discussed diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) in a previous article. Many women who have gestational diabetes during pregnancy develop type two diabetes latter in life. The baby also has a risk of developing diabetes later in life.

For some of the risk factors we've discussed you can do nothing about but for others there are steps you can take yourself to reduce your risk. It can be up to you.

You can check your own blood glucose levels using a glucometer, there are many available in the market and you may find it handy to use one which can be connected to your pc to allow you to plot graphs of your blood glucose levels such as the One Touch Ultra Mini. Click on the link to learn more about the meter.

Now you've read our article on diabetes risk factors we would recommend you read our article on Signs of High Blood Sugar. This is a great article to help you learn more about high blood sugar signs and symptoms. There is plenty of useful knowledge in the article, click on the link to learn more.

This article was brought to you by John Ngijseh a part of the Glucosemeters4u.com team. We specialise in products to help with diabetic testing from blood glucose meters to regent strips. We also have a lot of information to help with diabetes management. Visit us by clicking on the links within the article.