Risk Factors

1 out of 3 adults have prediabetes and 9 out of 10 do not know it.

Type 2 diabetes/prediabetes risk factors include:

  • Age, especially over 45 years old
  • Overweight or obese
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Previous pregnancy with gestational diabetes
  • Impaired glucose tolerance
  • Physical inactivity
  • Race/ethnicity*

Type 1 diabetes risk factors are less well defined than for type 2 diabetes. Autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in developing this type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes risk factors include:

  • Age, over 25 years old
  • Overweight or obese
  • Family history of diabetes
  • Previous pregnancy with gestational diabetes
  • Had a baby born weighing over 9 pounds
  • Race/ethnicity*

    * African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 and gestational diabetes.

Know Your Risk, Take the Test

Find out if you are at risk for Type 2 diabetes by taking a quick seven-question risk test.