Know Your Risk Of Getting Diabetes

 Your Diabetes Risk Tool 

Click the Diabetes Risk Calculator from The Siteman Cancer Center to help determine if you have any risks.

Exactly why some people get diabetes and others don’t isn’t clearly understood yet. 

Other Risks May Include:

• Family history. Your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is higher if a parent or sibling has it.
• Race. Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
• Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after 45. But type 2 diabetes is also rising among young adults and even kids because of obesity and not enough exercise.
• Being overweight. There’s a connection between fatty tissue and insulin resistance. You may need to lose weight.
• Belly fat. If you carry fat in your abdomen rather than your hips and thighs, your risk of type 2 diabetes is greater.
• Inactivity. The more sedentary you are, the greater your risk. It’s always good to exercise.

There is no self-chec for diabetes. If you have a family history of diabetes or are a smoker, consider getting a yearly doc-chec. To be safe, you might start at age 18 or even sooner if you are seriously overweight, too.