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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThe same factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increase the risk of developing prediabetes, including:
- Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for prediabetes. The more fatty tissue you have — especially around your abdomen — the more resistant your cells become to insulin.
- Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of prediabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
- Age. The risk of prediabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45. This may be because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. However, older people aren't the only ones at risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. The incidence of these disorders is also rising in younger age groups.
- Family history. The risk of prediabetes increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
- Race. Although it's unclear why, people of certain races — including African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders — are more likely to develop prediabetes.
- Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of later developing diabetes increases. If you gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms), you're also at increased risk of 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.
- Inadequate sleep. Several recent studies have linked a lack of sleep to an increased risk of insulin resistance. Research suggests that regularly sleeping fewer than 5.5 hours a night might up your risk of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.
Other conditions associated with diabetes include:
- High blood pressure
- Low levels of HDL, or "good," cholesterol
- High levels of triglycerides — a type of fat in your blood
When these conditions — high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal blood fats and cholesterol — occur together along with obesity, they are associated with resistance to insulin. This is often referred to as metabolic syndrome.
References
- Frequently asked questions about pre-diabetes. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes/faq.jsp. Accessed Oct. 3, 2009.
- Insulin resistance and prediabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/DM/pubs/insulinresistance/. Accessed Oct. 3, 2009.
- Standards of medical care in diabetes — 2009. Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/vol31/Supplement_1/. Accessed Oct. 3, 2009.
- Gangwisch JE, et al. Sleep duration as a risk factor for diabetes incidence in a large U.S. sample. Sleep. 2007;30:1667.
- Nedeltcheva AV, et al. Exposure to recurrent sleep restriction in the setting of high caloric intake and physical inactivity results in increased insulin resistance and reduced glucose tolerance. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2009;94:3242.
- Garber AJ, et al. Diagnosis and management of prediabetes in the continuum of hyperglycemia — When do the risks of diabetes begin? A consensus statement from the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Endocrine Practice 2008;14:933.
- International Expert Committee. International Expert Committee report on the role of the A1C assay in the diagnosis of diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:1.
- Natural medicines in the clinical management of diabetes. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Oct. 7, 2009.
