Risk Factors of Diabetes

Risk factors for diabetes depend on the type of diabetes.

Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes

Although the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, factors that may signal an increased risk include:

Family History

Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 1 diabetes.

Environmental Factors

Circumstances such as exposure to a viral illness likely play some role in type 1 diabetes.

The Presence of Damaging Immune System Cells (Autoantibodies)

Sometimes family members of people with type 1 diabetes are tested for the presence of diabetes autoantibodies. If you have these autoantibodies, you have an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. But not everyone who has these autoantibodies develops diabetes.

Dietary Factors

These include low vitamin D consumption, early exposure to cow’s milk or cow’s milk formula, and exposure to cereals before 4 months of age. None of these factors has been shown to directly cause type 1 diabetes.

Geography

Certain countries, such as Finland and Sweden, have higher rates of type 1 diabetes.

Risk Factors for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

Researchers don’t fully understand why some people develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and others don’t. It’s clear that certain factors increase the risk, however, including:

Weight

The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.

Inactivity

The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.

Family History

Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.

Race

Although it’s unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans — are at higher risk.

Age

Your risk increases as you get older. This may be because you tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as you age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.

Gestational Diabetes

If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes later increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), you’re also at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

For women, having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes.

High Blood Pressure

Having blood pressure over 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Abnormal Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels

If you have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol, your risk of type 2 diabetes is higher. Triglycerides are another type of fat carried in the blood. People with high levels of triglycerides have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Your doctor can let you know what your cholesterol and triglyceride levels are.

Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes

Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, but some women are at greater risk than are others. Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

Age

Women older than age 25 are at increased risk.

Family or Personal History

Your risk increases if you have prediabetes — a precursor to type 2 diabetes — or if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes. You’re also at greater risk if you had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a very large baby or if you had an unexplained stillbirth.

Weight

Being overweight before pregnancy increases your risk.

Race

For reasons that aren’t clear, women who are black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.