Diabetes Risk Factors
Diabetes Risk Factors
What Factors Influence My Diabetes Risk?
Type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are the three main kinds of diabetes. Your body can’t create or utilise insulin if you have all three.
One in every ten persons over the age of 40 now has type 2 diabetes, and the total number of people living with diabetes in the UK has risen to 4.7 million.
There are nearly one million more persons living with type 2 diabetes who are unaware of their condition because they have not been diagnosed, increasing the total to 4.7 million. This figure is expected to climb to 5.5 million by 2030.
This type is most common in children. Your pancreas ceases to produce insulin. You will always have type 1 diabetes. The following are the primary factors that contribute to it:
- Genetic background. If you have diabetes in your family, your chances of getting it are increased. Anyone with type 1 diabetes mother, father, sister, or brother should get tested. It can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.
- Pancreatic diseases. Reducing the body’s ability to produce insulin.
- Illness or infection. Your pancreas can be damaged by certain diseases and disorders, most of which are rare.
Your body can’t use the insulin it produces if you have this type. Insulin resistance is the term for this. Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults, but it can strike at any age. The following are the primary factors that contribute to it:
- Obesity, overweight. According to research, this is the leading cause of type 2 diabetes. This type is affecting more teenagers as a result of the growth in childhood obesity in the United Kingdom.
- Glucose tolerance is impaired. Prediabetes is a milder version of diabetes. A simple blood test can be used to diagnose it. If you have it, you have a good likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a common starting point for type 2 diabetes. Your pancreas will have to work extra hard to produce enough insulin to meet your body’s needs.
- Background ethnicity. Hispanic/Latino Americans, African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Alaska natives are more likely to get diabetes.
- Diabetes during pregnancy. You had gestational diabetes if you had diabetes while pregnant. This increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
- Sedentary behaviour. You don’t work out more than three times a week.
- Family background. You have diabetes through a parent or sibling.
- Ovarian polycystic syndrome. Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are more susceptible.
- Age. Talk to your doctor about a simple screening test if you’re over 45 and overweight, or if you have diabetes symptoms.
Diabetes during pregnancy affects roughly 10.4 per 1000 births in the United Kingdom. It’s caused by hormones produced by the placenta or a lack of insulin. The mother’s elevated blood sugar leads the baby’s blood sugar to rise. If left untreated, this might lead to growth and development issues. The following factors can cause gestational diabetes:
- Obesity or being overweight. Extra weight during pregnancy might lead to gestational diabetes.
- Intolerance to glucose. If you’ve had glucose intolerance or gestational diabetes before, you’re more likely to develop it again.
- Family background. You’re more likely to get gestational diabetes if a parent or sibling has had it.
- Age. When it comes to getting pregnant, the older you are, the better your chances are.
- Background ethnicity. It is more likely to develop in non-white women.
Actions to take
There’s a lot you can do to delay or avoid diabetes, no matter what your risks are.
- Maintain a healthy blood pressure level.
- Maintain a healthy weight by staying within or close to it.
- On most days, get 30 minutes of exercise.
- Maintain a healthy diet.