International Diabetes Center > Disease Information > Type 2 Diabetes > Risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Risk factors for type 2 and gestational diabetes

Risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes are the same. Those at risk are people who have:

»	prediabetes	About 16 million Americans have prediabetes or elevated blood glucose levels.
»	a brother, sister or parent with type 2 diabetes	A significant number of children or siblings of people with type 2 diabetes eventually will develop diabetes, unless they take steps to prevent it.
»	an ethnic background that is African-American, American Indian, native Alaskan, Hispanic, Pacific Islander or Asian	People in some ethnic groups have two to three times the risk of developing diabetes compared with all people.
»	overweight	The longer people are overweight and the more overweight they are, the greater their risk for diabetes.
»	abnormal blood fats (cholesterol or triglycerides)	More than 75 percent of people with diabetes have abnormal blood fat levels. This increases their risk of heart disease by up to four times that of the general population.
»	high blood pressure	Sixty percent to 70 percent of people with undiagnosed diabetes have high blood pressure.
»	a history of diabetes during pregnancy or have given birth to a baby more than nine pounds	Up to two-thirds of women who develop diabetes during pregnancy or have delivered a baby weighing more than nine pounds will develop type 2 diabetes.
»	a generally inactive lifestyle	People who exercise three to five times a week can reduce their risk of diabetes by up to 58 percent.

Risk increases for each applicable characteristic. People at risk should talk to a health care provider to start taking measures to prevent diabetes. Adults who are at risk should be tested for diabetes every three years. Children at risk should be tested every two years, starting at age 10 or when puberty starts.

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