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And according to Fredhutch, some of the risk factors for diabetes can be controlled through the lifestyle choices you make, and these are called modifiable risk factors. The ones you can’t change are non-modifiable risk factors.

Non-modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Risk factors that increase the risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes that cannot be changed are:

Family history: Some of the factors that increase the risk of developing diabetes are inherited from our parents or close biological relatives. If you have a blood relative with diabetes, your risk of developing it increases significantly. Share your family’s health history with your doctor to see what it might mean for you.

Age The older you are, the higher your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes generally affects middle-aged adults, most often after the age of 40, but health care providers are increasingly diagnosing children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes: If you develop diabetes during pregnancy, you are at increased risk of developing diabetes again later in life.

Modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes

You can reduce your risk of developing diabetes or delay its progression by making healthy changes:

Weight: Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes. Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight in addition to regular physical activity can significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes. The risk decreases further with more weight loss. For most people, the BMI calculator will provide a good target weight for your height. Find out how to manage your weight.

Physical activity: Physical inactivity is an important modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Regular physical activity helps reduce insulin resistance. This means your body can use its own insulin more effectively. Brisk walking for 30 minutes at least five days a week has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. For general cardiovascular health.

Blood pressure: In addition to causing damage to the cardiovascular system, untreated high blood pressure has been linked to complications of diabetes.

Cholesterol (lipid) levels: Diabetes is associated with atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and blood vessel disease, and low HDL cholesterol and/or high triglyceride levels may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular disease, following a healthy eating plan, getting regular physical activity, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can help improve abnormal lipid levels. Sometimes medications are also needed.

Smoking: If you smoke, there are a number of online tools, medications, and resources you can use to help you quit. Talk to your healthcare team about your best options.

Diet: It is important to eat healthy foods in the right amounts. Diet is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The American Heart Association recommends following a meal plan that includes fruits, vegetables, grains whole, skinless poultry, fish, legumes and non-tropical vegetable oils and unsalted nuts and seeds. A healthy diet should replace monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, avoid trans fats, reduce cholesterol and sodium (salt), and limit red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks.

Stress and Well-Being: Everyone feels stressed, but people react to it differently. Managing the stress in our lives is an important part of living healthy, not just for diabetes but heart disease and many other conditions.