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Diabetes

Diabetes Risk Factors: How to Prevent Diabetes

Are you at risk?

There are several things that can put a person at an increased risk for developing diabetes.

These include:

  • A family history of diabetes
  • Being overweight
  • Having high triglyceride or low HDL (good cholesterol) levels
  • Being over 45 years old
  • Having had high blood glucose when taking steroids or during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
  • Being of African American, Hispanic, Pacific Island or Native American descent


How to Prevent Diabetes

If there is an increased risk for diabetes there are some actions that can be taken to prevent the onset of diabetes.

The following steps can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes:

  • Make healthy food choices
  • Get weight into a healthy range and maintain that weight
  • Increase physical activity

These steps also help to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering triglyceride levels; raising HDL levels, reducing blood pressure and helping to lower and/or maintain a healthy bodyweight.