Health Conditions

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors are characteristics that can predispose you to developing a condition or disease. Just because you have one or more risk factors does not mean you will get diabetes. Risk factors for type 1 diabetes are not as clearly defined as for type 2.

Type 1 risk factors include:

• Family history of diabetes
• Autoimmune disease, where the body mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells
• Environmental factors such as a viral infection that can stimulate an immune attack against the beta cells of the pancreas

• Obesity (Body Mass Index--BMI--greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2)
• Physical inactivity
• Age greater than 65 years
• Family history of diabetes
• Impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose
• Being a Native American, African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, or a Pacific Islander
• Having delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds or having been diagnosed with gestational diabetes
• High blood pressure (greater than or equal to 140/90 mmHg in adults)
• HDL cholesterol less than or equal to 35 mg/dL and/or a triglyceride level greater than or equal to 250 mg/dL
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - when a woman's body produces an excess of testosterone (a male hormone) which causes the ovaries to release eggs (ovulate) less frequently than normal or they don't release eggs at all. This syndrome usually causes irregular or absent menstrual cycles. Elevated insulin levels or insulin resistance often accompanies PCOS.

• Family history of diabetes (especially on the maternal side)
• Being overweight or obese
• Being a Native American, African American, Hispanic/Latino American, Asian American, or a Pacific Islander
• Pregnancy at an older age
• Previous history of gestational diabetes

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