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Who Is at Risk for Diabetes?

There are over 20 million children and adults in the United States with diabetes — and nearly one-third of them (or 6.2 million people) don't even know they have it.1 Knowing the risk factors for type 2 diabetes is important, because the earlier diabetes is diagnosed, the sooner steps can be taken toward managing the disease and perhaps preventing complications.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes include2:

  • Age of 45 years or older
  • Overweight (BMI ≥25) or obese (to find out your body mass index, or BMI, use the calculator to the right)
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Race/ethnicity other than white, such as African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
  • Had diabetes during a pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
  • Gave birth to a large baby (more than nine pounds)
  • Physical inactivity
  • High blood pressure
  • Low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglyceride levels
  • Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Diagnosed with pre-diabetes
  • Have had heart problems

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher and one or more additional risk factors should be tested for diabetes.2


Can type 2 diabetes be prevented or delayed?

The answer is yes! Research studies have found that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes among individuals at high risk (those with pre-diabetes). They may even be able to return their blood glucose levels to the normal range.

Lifestyle modifications included weight loss of 5-10% of body weight, as well as increasing physical activity to 30 minutes per day of moderate activity such as walking. In the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a large prevention study of people at high risk for diabetes, the development of diabetes was reduced 58% over 3 years.2 While the DPP also showed that a medication called metformin may delay the development of diabetes, diet and exercise worked better.

References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: general information and national estimates on diabetes in the United States, 2005. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2005.pdf
2. American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(suppl 1):S12-S54.