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Factors That Influence the Development of Diabetes

There are two types of risk factors for developing diabetes, the ones you can't control and the ones you can. Whether or not a person develops diabetes is based on a number of factors including heredity, lifestyle choices and ethnicity.

  1. Heredity

    • Heredity is one factor for developing diabetes. You cannot control your genetic disposition for developing this disease. People who have a family history of diabetes are evaluated more often and monitored for telltale symptoms. They are also stringently advised to control those factors they do have influence over.

    Ethnicity

    • Ethnicity is another uncontrollable risk factor for diabetes. Diabetes occurs more prevalently in Latinos, African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans than other ethnicities.

    Age

    • The older a person is, the more prone they are for developing type II diabetes. Anyone over the age of 45 should be routinely screened for the disease.

    Weight

    • Weight plays a huge role in the development of the disease. It is considered the number one controllable risk factor that contributes to the development of diabetes. Those that are overweight are much more likely to develop diabetes.

    Other Factors

    • High blood pressure and a low activity lifestyle are also major contributing factors for developing diabetes.

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