Groups with a heightened vulnerability to type 2 diabetes

Various factors affect an individual’s risk for type 2 diabetes. An impairment in the way the body regulates and uses glucose, or sugar, as fuel, diabetes is a chronic disease that researchers estimate affects nearly half a billion people across the globe. One recent study conducted in affiliation with the International Diabetes Federation examined global diabetes data published between 1990 and 2018. That study represented 138 countries and researchers ultimately estimated that diabetes could affect 700 million people by 2045.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that no one currently knows how to prevent type 1 diabetes. However, there are ways for individuals to reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes, which is much more common than type 1. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that various risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including age and ethnicity, cannot be changed. But knowledge of type 2 diabetes, including a recognition of which groups are among the most vulnerable to the disease, may compel people to make lifestyle choices that can greatly reduce their diabetes risk. The NIDDK notes that people are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they:

• are overweight or obese

• are age 45 and older

• have a family history of diabetes

• are African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander

• have high blood pressure

• have a low level of “good” cholesterol or a high level of triglycerides

• have a history of gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more

• are not physically active

• have a history of heart disease or stroke

• have depression

• have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

• have acanthosis nigricans, a condition marked by dark, thick and velvety skin around the neck or armpits

Healthy lifestyle choices can help many people in these groups reduce their risk for type 2 diabetes. For example, a healthy diet and routine physical activity can help people lose weight and maintain a healthy weight, lower their blood pressure and improve their “good” cholesterol levels. Those two simple choices can remove individuals from many of the aforementioned groups with a heightened vulnerability to type 2 diabetes.

More information about diabetes and diabetes prevention is available at www.niddk.nih.gov.