Type 2 diabetes
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
The most important modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors for type 2 diabetes are obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy diet. Possible modifiable risk factors include smoking, sleep loss, and stress.
Unmodifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes include ethnicity, age, family history of diabetes, metabolic syndrome (increased blood pressure, blood lipid disturbances, impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance), history of gestational diabetes, low birth weight.
Prevention of type 2 diabetes
Key factor in diabetes prevention is sustained lifestyle change. The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study DPS showed that aiming to achieve these five goals can markedly reduce the risk of diabetes:
- lose weight (5% or more reduction from baseline weight),
- reduce dietary fat (< 30% of total energy consumed)
- reduce saturated fat (< 10% of total energy consumed)
- increase dietary fibre intake (15 g / 1000 kcal or more)
- increase physical activity (≥ 30 minutes/day)
In practice, diet to prevent type 2 diabetes includes fruit and vegetables in abundance, whole grains, sources of soft fat, and low-fat dairy, in accordance to general dietary recommendations.
Take action to prevent diabetes--the IMAGE toolkit for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Europe
Quality and Outcome Indicators for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Europe
