Risk
Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors: Which Ones You Can Change
Type 2 diabetes risk factors include overweight, being 45 or older, a parent or sibling with the condition, and being active less than 3 times a week. Some cannot be changed, like age and family history. Others, like weight and activity, can. About 115.2 million U.S. adults already have prediabetes.
Written by the Glyco Defender facts deskUpdated · 4 min read
The list01
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes?
The main type 2 diabetes risk factors are overweight or obesity, age 45 or older, a parent or sibling with type 2, and being active less than 3 times a week (CDC, Diabetes Risk Factors).
The CDC adds non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gestational diabetes, a baby born over 9 pounds, and prediabetes itself (CDC, Diabetes Risk Factors).
Ethnicity is also on the list. African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native people carry higher risk, and so do some Pacific Islander and Asian American people (CDC, Diabetes Risk Factors).
Having a factor does not mean you will develop the condition. It means a blood test is worth asking about. A good habit is to count your factors once a year, since weight and activity change, and to write the total beside your last test result.
Sort them02
Which type 2 diabetes risk factors can you change?
You can change weight and activity, you can influence liver health, and you cannot change age, family history or ethnicity.
Sorting the list helps you spend effort where it counts. Time spent worrying about family history does not help, while a ten-minute walk after dinner does. Start with the two rows marked yes, which are weight and weekly activity, and leave the rest to your doctor to track.
| Risk factor | Can you change it? |
|---|---|
| Overweight or obesity | Yes, over time |
| Active less than 3 times a week | Yes |
| Fatty liver disease | Partly; ask your doctor |
| Age 45 or older | No |
| Parent or sibling with type 2 | No |
| Gestational diabetes in the past | No |
| Ethnicity | No |
Factors from the CDC (CDC, Diabetes Risk Factors). The "can you change" column is our plain-language sort.
Payoff03
How much do changeable risk factors matter?
Changeable risk factors matter a lot: lifestyle changes cut the chance of type 2 diabetes by 58% in the Diabetes Prevention Program (NIDDK, Diabetes Prevention Program).
The goals were about 7% weight loss and 150 minutes of exercise a week. People aged 60 and older saw a 71% cut (NIDDK, Diabetes Prevention Program).
So even a heavy set of fixed factors does not close the door. A person with a family history and age 50 still gains from walking and weight loss.
Say you are 52, a parent had type 2, and you walk twice a week. Two of your three factors are fixed, and the third, activity, can go from twice to five times a week.
Stress and fiber also play roles, covered in stress and blood sugar and fiber and glucose.
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See packsYour day04
What does a risk-lowering day look like?
A risk-lowering day has small repeating pieces: a morning routine, a walk, sensible portions and good sleep.
None of the pieces is dramatic, and each one is easy to repeat daily without special gear or cost. The dial below shows how they fit across 24 hours, including a morning dropperful if you choose to take a supplement.
If your morning readings run high, read the post on a high morning fasting reading.
- Morning, about 7:30
One dropperful, in the mouth or in a glass of water. The label sets no time; mornings suit the caffeine. Prescribed medicine stays on its own schedule.
- A walk after a meal
In the DPP, the lifestyle group targeted 150 minutes of activity a week and cut diabetes risk by 58%.
- Plates and portions
Per the CDC, losing 5-7% of body weight helps prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Night, 7 to 9 hours
Guarana and green tea add caffeine, so a morning dropper suits light sleepers better than a late one.
Habits from the Diabetes Prevention Program (NIDDK, Diabetes Prevention Program) and CDC (CDC, Prediabetes); caffeine guidance from FDA (FDA, Caffeine: how much is too much?). The timing for the drops is only a suggestion; go by your label.
Next step05
Where does a supplement fit with type 2 diabetes risk?
A supplement fits at the edge of your plan, not the center. The NCCIH finds no reliable evidence that herbal supplements control diabetes (NCCIH, Diabetes and Dietary Supplements).
Keep taking prescribed medicine, and tell your doctor about any supplement before you start. If you still want to try Glyco Defender, read the ingredient list and the 60-day guarantee first.
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Glyco Defender is a dietary supplement, not a treatment. Ask your doctor or pharmacist first if you use insulin, a sulfonylurea or another glucose-lowering drug, a blood thinner, blood pressure or heart-rhythm medicine, an antidepressant or thyroid medicine. Chromium, gymnema and ginseng may add to diabetes medicines and cause lows; guarana and green tea add caffeine. Keep taking prescribed medicine. See side effects and interactions.
FAQ06
Glyco Defender questions people ask
Is type 2 diabetes genetic?
Family history raises your risk, but it is not a sentence. The CDC lists a parent or sibling with type 2 as a risk factor (CDC, Diabetes Risk Factors). Habits still matter, as lifestyle changes cut risk by 58% in a large trial (NIDDK, Diabetes Prevention Program).
At what age should you get tested for type 2 diabetes?
The CDC says to get an A1C test if you are over age 45, and sooner if you are younger with overweight and other risk factors (CDC, A1C Test). Your doctor may test earlier based on family history or past gestational diabetes.
How many Americans have prediabetes?
About 115.2 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, according to the CDC (CDC, National Diabetes Statistics Report). The same report counts about 11.0 million adults with diabetes who are undiagnosed. If several risk factors on this list apply to you, ask about a simple blood test.
Who wrote this07
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Learn about our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by a U.S. stocking partner for Glyco Defender, not by the manufacturer or the distributor. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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