Diabetes: Types & Risk Factors

There are three major types of diabetes; Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin or is unable to produce enough.

The main risk factors for this type include:

• Family history / genetics
  Having relatives (mainly parent or sibling) with type 1 diabetes increases the risk of a person having the same type. If both parents have type 1 diabetes, the risk is higher.
• Age
  Younger adults and children are more prone to having type 1 diabetes as it usually develops in childhood. Once a child is diagnosed, they have type 1 diabetes for life.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In this case, the body is undergoing insulin resistance; where it produces some insulin but is not able to use it effectively.

The risk factors include:

• Family history and age
  Parents or siblings with diabetes (same as above) and being over 45 years old.
• Ethnic background
  African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans all have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared to other groups.
• Obesity / overweight
  Teenagers are prone to type 2 diabetes due to their lifestyle; lack of exercise, consumption of junk foods, leading to weight gain.

Gestational diabetes develops when a person is pregnant. Most mothers produce too little insulin during pregnancy or the placenta makes more hormones. In both cases, the high blood sugar from the mother causes the same condition in the baby.

Risk factors are the same as other kinds, mainly:

• Unhealthy diet
• Family history
• Age
  Older pregnant women have a higher chance of having gestational diabetes.
• Ethnic background
  Non-white women have a greater risk.

Learn how you can manage your diabetes with our specialists and healthcare professionals from Regency’s Diabetes Care Centre.