Diabetes risk factors

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Diabetes risk factors

Alternative Names:

Risk factors for diabetes

Information:

You have a higher risk for diabetes if you have any of the following:

Family history of diabetes
Low activity level
Poor diet
Excess body weight (especially around the waist)
Age greater than 45 years
High blood pressure
High blood levels of triglycerides (a type of fat molecule)
HDL cholesterol of less than 35
Impaired glucose tolerance (identified by your doctor)
Diabetes during a previous pregnancy, or a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Certian ethnicities -- African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans all have high rates of diabetes

Everyone over 45 should have their blood glucose checked at least every 3 years. Regular testing of random blood glucose should begin at a younger age, and be performed more often, if you are at higher risk for diabetes. See diabetes.

Review Date: 8/1/2005
Reviewed By: Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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