Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes: Risk factors

Type 1 diabetes: Risk Factors

Risk Factors

Up to 1,000,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to have type 1 diabetes, with about 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is much less common than type 2, however, consisting of only 7 - 10% of all cases of diabetes. Nevertheless, like type 2 diabetes, the incidence in type 1 has been rising over the past few decades.

Risk Factors in Children

Type 1 can occur at any age but usually appears between infancy and the late 30s, most typically in childhood or adolescence. Boys and girls are equally vulnerable. Studies report the following may be risk factors for developing type 1 diabetes:

• Being ill in early infancy.
• Early foods. Some studies have reported that early exposure to cow's milk in infancy and not being breast fed increased the risk for type 1 diabetes. Two studies in 2003 suggested that very early exposure to cereal -- not cow's milk -- plays a role in risk. Any risk from early dietary factors is still very low and likely to affect children who already have a genetically impaired immune response to dietary proteins. Breast milk contains factors that may help regulate the immune response and prevent diabetes in such children. National differences in risk also suggest that not all cow's milk is the same, and some proteins may confer higher risks than others.
• Having a parent with type 1 diabetes.
• Having an older mother.
• Having a mother who had preeclampsia during pregnancy.
• Obesity in children has long been linked to a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Two 2001 studies reported an association between high weight at birth and obesity during childhood as risk factors for type 1 diabetes as well. The common risk factor may be an increase in insulin secretion, which occurs with obesity. This theoretically could overstress the beta cells so that they become susceptible to damage by overactive immune factors (particularly cytokines), and eventually destruction in children genetically vulnerable to type 1 diabetes.

Until recently, diabetes in children was almost always type 1 diabetes. Of major concern, however, are estimates that between 8 - 45% of new diabetes cases in children are now type 2, most likely because of the increase in childhood obesity.

Type 2 diabetes: Risk Factors

Risk Factors

Over 19 million Americans have diabetes; up to 95% of these cases are type 2. In addition, 26% of Americans age 20 and older (and 40% of Americans age 65 and older) have impaired fasting glucose, a pre-diabetes condition that increases the risk for diabetes. According to a 2006 study, a total of 73 million Americans either have diabetes or are at risk of developing it.

Historically, type 2 diabetes usually developed after the age of 40, but it is now also increasing in children. Given the current epidemic of obesity, experts are now estimating that over a third of all people born in 2002 will eventually develop diabetes. Furthermore, the dramatic increase in diabetes is occurring worldwide as American lifestyles become global. Evidence strongly suggests that healthy lifestyles can prevent most cases of type 2 diabetes. People with pre-diabetes can substantially lower their risk by losing weight through diet and exercise.

Healthy adults age 45 and older should get tested for diabetes. Patients who are younger than age 45 and who are overweight or have other risk factors should also ask their doctors about testing. According to the National Institutes of Health, the following are major risk factors for diabetes and pre-diabetes:

• Age 45 or older
• Family history of diabetes
• Overweight· Inactive lifestyle (exercise less than 3 times a week)
• African American, Hispanic/Latin American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ethnicity
• High blood pressure (140/90 mm/Hg or higher)
• HDL (“good”) cholesterol less than 35 mg/dL or triglyceride level 250 mg/dL or higher
• Have had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or have given birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (metabolic disorder that affects female reproductive system
• Acanthosis nigricans (dark, thickened skin around neck or armpits)
• History of disease of blood vessels to the heart, brain, or legs
• Diabetes test history of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)

-MyDiabetesCentral.com-