Type 2 Diabetes

Risk Factors

Your risk of type 2 diabetes typically increases when you are:

• Older
• Less active
• Overweight or obese

Other risk factors are:

• Family history of diabetes in close relatives
• Being of African, Asian, Native American, Latino, or Pacific Islander ancestry
• High blood pressure
• High blood levels of fats, known as triglycerides, coupled with low levels of high-density lipoprotein, known as HDL, in the blood stream
• Prior diagnosis of pre-diabetes such as glucose intolerance or elevated blood sugar
• In women, a history of giving birth to large babies (over 9 lbs) and/or diabetes during pregnancy

Type 2 diabetes is strongly inherited

These are some of the statistics:

• 80-90% of people with Type 2 diabetes have other family members with diabetes.
• 10-15% of children of a diabetic parent will develop diabetes.
• If one identical twin has type 2 diabetes, there is up to a 75% chance that the other will also be diabetic.
• There are many genetic or molecular causes of type 2 diabetes, all of which result in a high blood sugar.
• As yet, there is no single genetic test to determine who is at risk for type 2 diabetes.
• To develop type 2 diabetes, you must be born with the genetic traits for diabetes.
• Because there is a wide range of genetic causes, there is also a wide range in how you will respond to treatment. You may be easily treated with just a change in diet or you may need multiple types of medication.

 

 

The development of type 2 diabetes is thought to be a progression from normal blood sugars to pre-diabetes to a diagnosis of overt diabetes. These stages are defined by blood sugar levels.

The timeline to developing an elevated blood sugar depends on many environmental factors (such as being overweight, physical activity, age, diet, illness, pregnancy, and medication) and also on how strong the gene traits are for diabetes. Ultimately, pre-diabetes and diabetes occur when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to overcome the insulin resistance. Historically pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed when individuals are older; however, because of a wide-spread epidemic of obesity which causes insulin resistance, the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is occurring more frequently at younger and younger ages.

 

 

People born with the genetic traits for diabetes are considered to be pre-disposed.

Genetically predisposed people may have normal blood sugar levels, but many will have other markers of insulin resistance such, as elevated triglycerides and hypertension. When environmental factors are introduced, such as weight gain, lack of physical activity, or pregnancy, they are likely to develop diabetes.

 

Some individuals with other types of diabetes may be misdiagnosed as having type 2 diabetes. Up to 10% of individuals who are initially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may actually have LADA or Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adults.

Pre-diabetes

Pre-diabetes is a stage between not having diabetes and having type 2 diabetes. You have pre-diabetes when your blood sugars are above normal, but not so high as to meet the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes. One in three people with pre-diabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes; however, with the correct lifestyle changes, including exercise, weight loss, a healthy diet, and the correct medications, the odds decrease so that only one in nine pre-diabetic people develop type 2 diabetes. In some cases, your blood sugar levels can return to normal. However, even if blood sugar levels return to normal, the genetic risk for type 2 diabetes remains unchanged – you must continue positive lifestyle changes, and medication or risk the return of elevated blood sugar levels.

 

Is Type 2 diabetes increasing?

Type 2 diabetes is increasing at an epidemic rate, and is being diagnosed at younger and younger ages. The most likely reason for this increase is that individuals with a genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes are developing the disease due to lifestyle changes - namely less physical activity, weight gain, and longer life span.

The good news is that scientific research confirms that by eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and maintaining an ideal body weight, you can delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.