Who is at Risk?
You can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through healthy lifestyle. Change your diet, increase your level of physical activity, maintain a healthy weight… with these positive steps, you can stay healthier longer and reduce your risk of diabetes.
Symptoms of diabetes can be mild or barely noticeable, and are often dismissed. The American Diabetes Association recommends that every adult over the age of 45 be screened for diabetes every three years, but certain populations are at an increased risk and should be screened at least annually.
Who is at greater risk for Type 2 diabetes?
Certain ethnic populations:
- African American
- Native American
- Asian American
- Hispanic/Latino
- Pacific Islander
Health history, age and lifestyle:
- Age 45 years or older
- Family history of diabetes, especially in parents and siblings
- Being overweight (Body Mass Index more than 25)
- Being inactive
- Pre-diabetes or previous glucose intolerance
- High blood pressure (more than 140/90 mmHg for adults)
- High triglycerides (more than 250 mg/dl)
- Low HDL cholesterol (less than 35 in men and less than 45 in women)
- History of vascular disease
- Prior gestational diabetes
- Delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 lbs.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Conditions associated with insulin resistance (high cholesterol and acanthosis nigricans...a darkening of the skin in areas of the neck, knees, elbows and knuckles on the hand)