Age
Nearly nine out of ten people with diabetes are afflicted with type 2. In the past, it was referred to as adult-onset diabetes, as it rarely, if ever, occurs in children. Age is one of the most significant risk factors for the disorder. The older the person, the greater the odds of developing it. This holds regarding teenagers and preteens, whose rates of diabetes have sharply risen in the last few years.
Type 2 tends to occur from a combination of lifestyle and genes. Obesity, elevated blood pressure, and inactivity can significantly increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Symptoms can gradually arise without noticing them. However, diagnosis typically begins to spike in middle age. An estimated fourteen percent of Americans between the ages of 45 and 64, or 11 million people, are found to have diabetes. Undiagnosed cases could account for under five percent.
But that’s not to say that diabetes is a regular occurrence in aging. While it’s true that there are risk factors that can’t be changed, healthy practices can go a long way in its prevention or effective management. Some of the steps you should take are losing excess weight and exercise.
