A report by the Centers for Disease Control states that a 6% increase in people diagnosed with diabetes has taken place in the last few years. This increase in diagnosed cases is in large part due to diabetes awareness programs. These are held in an effort to reach those who may have diabetes but do not know it. Early detection will allow you to get proper treatment and help prevent complications due to undetected or uncontrolled diabetes.
Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Adults
- 45 years of age or older
- At least one parent with diabetes
- Member of at-risk ethnic group (e.g. Native American, Hispanic, and African American)
- Gestational diabetes or birth of child weighing over 9 pounds
- Obesity - even being as little as 10 pounds overweight
- Hypertension
- High triglyceride levels
- Low levels of High Density Lipoproteins
The American Diabetes Association recommends anyone with the above risk factors to be tested for diabetes annually.
Currently there is not enough information on children with type 2 diabetes to define risk factors. This disease does seem to appear most often in overweight, sedentary children of certain racial/ethnic groups (e.g. Native American, Hispanic, and African American). More research is needed to better identify high-risk individuals.
Reprinted with permission from the New York State Department of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Diabetes Translation.
