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Top 11 risk factors for diabetes have been published
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Particular attention in the prevention, development and prognosis of the course of the disease should be paid to risk factors. Type 2 diabetes is a disease whose development is influenced by many factors.
Sedentary lifestyle
According to research by scientists, a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by two times. In order not to endanger your health, regular exercise is necessary, during which glucose is transferred from the blood to the muscles, which is used as a source of energy. In addition, physical activity fights insomnia and helps you stay in shape.
Abdominal obesity
85% of people with diabetes are overweight, which leads to the fact that the deposition of extra pounds in the waist area - abdominal obesity, leads to the fact that the body's cells stop responding to insulin, which in turn ensures the penetration of glucose into the cells. If glucose is not converted into energy, it remains in the blood, and this increases the risk of developing diabetes.
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Blood glucose level
Monitoring blood glucose levels will help assess the risk of diabetes. A condition such as prediabetes will help a person take the necessary measures to prevent the development of diabetes. In this case, elevated glucose levels signal danger, but if measures are taken, the situation can be corrected.
Sleep disorders
Due to insufficient sleep, the body produces stress hormones that provoke excess weight gain and cellular resistance to insulin. People who have sleep disorders have increased production of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite.
Nutrition
Eating right, including at least one serving of green leafy vegetables, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 14%.
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Stress
In addition to the fact that excessive worry and constant stress cause the production of the hormone cortisol, which prevents the production of insulin, which in turn causes an increase in blood glucose, they also lead to prolonged depression and sleep disorders.
Soda and sweet drinks
Sweet soda, juices, energy drinks and other similar drinks provoke weight gain and increase the risk of diabetes. Sweet drinks reduce the sensitivity of cells to insulin and increase the amount of sugar in the blood.
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is considered high if its value exceeds 140/90 mm Hg. High blood pressure makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood. Although high blood pressure does not always lead to the development of diabetes, it is often combined with it.
Age
Most often, diabetes mellitus occurs in women over 45 years of age, at an age when metabolic processes slow down, body weight increases and muscle mass decreases.
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Heredity and family ties
Those at risk are those who have relatives suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2. For example, if one of the twins has diabetes mellitus, then the probability of the disease in the second is 75%.
Race and Risk
Certain races and ethnic groups are identified from the general population as having a higher risk of developing diabetes. For example, Caucasians have a 77% lower risk of developing the disease than Asian Americans and African Americans. Race is a non-modifiable risk factor, meaning it cannot be influenced.