What age can you get diabetes

Average age of onset, risk factors, prevention

The onset of type 2 diabetes is most common in people aged 45–64.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90–95% of the adult diagnoses of diabetes in the United States.

Individual diagnoses vary too much to pinpoint an exact age of onset for type 2 diabetes. However, there is evidence that the likelihood of developing the condition increases drastically after age 45.

Read on to learn more about age and diabetes onset.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends annual diabetes screening tests for people aged 35 and older.

However, the development of the condition depends on too many other factors to accurately predict on an individual basis.

A broad mix of health and lifestyle factors can influence the condition’s progression. Many people have diabetes for years without knowing it. This causes a wide variation between the age of onset and age at diagnosis.

Some estimates claim that 1 in 5 people with diabetes do not know they have it. Also, many national surveys and studies do not distinguish between rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 45–64 receive the majority of new diabetes diagnoses in the U.S.

While it might not be possible to define a set age for the onset of type 2 diabetes, a person’s age greatly increases the risk of developing the condition.

According to the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report, about 13% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older had diabetes in 2015.

Elsewhere, a 2016 meta-analysis found that the rates of type 2 diabetes were up to 7 times higher in Chinese adults aged 55–74 than in 20- to 34-year-olds.

The ADA reports that 29.2% of those over 65 years old in the U.S. may have diabetes, whether diagnosed or not.

Common factors that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include:

age of 45 or older
overweight status
excess abdominal fat
poor diet, especially one high in fats and added or refined sugars
a sedentary lifestyle
family history of diabetes
diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
high levels of fats called triglycerides
low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol
high blood pressure
history of heart disease or stroke
liver disease
kidney disease
polycystic ovary syndrome
depression

These factors impact blood glucose, either directly or indirectly, over time.

Learn more about the risk factors for all types of diabetes here.

Differences in the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and the age of diagnosis may also depend on sex, race, or ethnic background.

Sex differences

Studies suggest that women have higher rates of diabetes during youth and adolescence than men. However, men have higher rates of diabetes diagnosis in middle adulthood.

Rates of diabetes in late adulthood are similar.

Race and ethnicity

Black American adults are almost twice as likely as white American adults to develop type 2 diabetes. Higher obesity rates in African American adults are a likely factor in this disparity.

However, many other factors may contribute to Black American adults having a higher risk of diabetes, including:

less access to fresh produce
economic barriers to healthcare and treatment
less access to health education

Learn more about diabetes in African Americans here.

Current rates of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. among people of various races or ethnic backgrounds are as follows:

14.5% of Native American and Alaskan Native people
12.1% of non-Hispanic Black people
11.8% of Hispanic people
9.5% of Asian American people
7.4% of non-Hispanic white people

Learn more about diabetes in People of Color here.

The symptoms of type 2 diabetes, such as increased thirst, hunger, and fatigue, do not often present until a person’s blood sugar levels are extremely high. Taking steps to prevent diabetes is vital, as the condition may advance in the time before a person becomes aware of it.

Ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include:

doing light-to-moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, including daily activity
maintaining a nutritious, balanced diet
cutting down on consumption of simple sugars, excess sugars, and fats
monitoring carbohydrate intake
eating smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals
losing 5–7% of one’s total body weight
monitoring and regulating blood glucose levels
attempting to manage stress to reduce levels of the hormone cortisol
staying hydrated
increasing fiber intake
maintaining a regular sleep schedule to reduce the release of stress hormones

As the body ages, nutrition requirements change and the risk of injury increases. Staying active in older age can help delay the onset of age-related conditions such as diabetes.

Nevertheless, people should start undergoing tests for diabetes every year once they reach age 35. If these tests show type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, people can start making adjustments sooner.

Those at greater risk of diabetes can make certain dietary choices to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. As long as they stay mindful of portion sizes and plan meals carefully, people with type 2 diabetes can still eat their favorite foods.

Age is a key factor in type 2 diabetes risk. Most people with type 2 diabetes receive a diagnosis at ages 45–64.

Sex, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors can also affect a person’s risk of developing the condition.

Lifestyle adjustments and medication programs can help people manage type 2 diabetes.

Below are some frequently asked questions about diabetes onset.

Can a person have diabetes from birth?

In very rare cases, a person can have diabetes from birth. Doctors refer to this as neonatal diabetes. It is the result of genetic changes.

Can I get type 2 diabetes in my 20s?

It is possible to get diabetes at any age. However, the condition is less common in people younger than 45 years of age.

Is diabetes common in 30-year-olds?

Diabetes is more common in older adults. However, 4.2% of U.S. adults aged 18–44 have diabetes. The ADA recommends annual screening for people aged 35 and older.

Does race impact diabetes onset?

Diabetes is more prevalent among people of certain races and ethnicities. In the U.S., the prevalence of diabetes in various groups is as follows:

14.5% of Native American and Alaskan Native people
12.1% of non-Hispanic Black people
11.8% of Hispanic people
9.5% of Asian American people
7.4% of non-Hispanic white people

Read this article in Spanish.

Average age of onset, risk factors, prevention

The onset of type 2 diabetes is most common in people aged 45–64.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90–95% of the adult diagnoses of diabetes in the United States.

Read on to learn more about age and diabetes onset.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends annual diabetes screening tests for people aged 35 and older.

However, the development of the condition depends on too many other factors to accurately predict on an individual basis.

Some estimates claim that 1 in 5 people with diabetes do not know they have it. Also, many national surveys and studies do not distinguish between rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults aged 45–64 receive the majority of new diabetes diagnoses in the U.S.

While it might not be possible to define a set age for the onset of type 2 diabetes, a person’s age greatly increases the risk of developing the condition.

According to the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report, about 13% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older had diabetes in 2015.

Elsewhere, a 2016 meta-analysis found that the rates of type 2 diabetes were up to 7 times higher in Chinese adults aged 55–74 than in 20- to 34-year-olds.

The ADA reports that 29.2% of those over 65 years old in the U.S. may have diabetes, whether diagnosed or not.

Common factors that can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include:

age of 45 or older
overweight status
excess abdominal fat
poor diet, especially one high in fats and added or refined sugars
a sedentary lifestyle
family history of diabetes
diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
high levels of fats called triglycerides
low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol
high blood pressure
history of heart disease or stroke
liver disease
kidney disease
polycystic ovary syndrome
depression

These factors impact blood glucose, either directly or indirectly, over time.

Learn more about the risk factors for all types of diabetes here.

Differences in the chances of developing type 2 diabetes and the age of diagnosis may also depend on sex, race, or ethnic background.

Sex differences

Studies suggest that women have higher rates of diabetes during youth and adolescence than men. However, men have higher rates of diabetes diagnosis in middle adulthood.

Rates of diabetes in late adulthood are similar.

Race and ethnicity

Black American adults are almost twice as likely as white American adults to develop type 2 diabetes. Higher obesity rates in African American adults are a likely factor in this disparity.

However, many other factors may contribute to Black American adults having a higher risk of diabetes, including:

less access to fresh produce
economic barriers to healthcare and treatment
less access to health education

Learn more about diabetes in African Americans here.

Current rates of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. among people of various races or ethnic backgrounds are as follows:

14.5% of Native American and Alaskan Native people
12.1% of non-Hispanic Black people
11.8% of Hispanic people
9.5% of Asian American people
7.4% of non-Hispanic white people

Learn more about diabetes in People of Color here.

Ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes include:

doing light-to-moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, including daily activity
maintaining a nutritious, balanced diet
cutting down on consumption of simple sugars, excess sugars, and fats
monitoring carbohydrate intake
eating smaller meals throughout the day rather than three large meals
losing 5–7% of one’s total body weight
monitoring and regulating blood glucose levels
attempting to manage stress to reduce levels of the hormone cortisol
staying hydrated
increasing fiber intake
maintaining a regular sleep schedule to reduce the release of stress hormones

As the body ages, nutrition requirements change and the risk of injury increases. Staying active in older age can help delay the onset of age-related conditions such as diabetes.

Nevertheless, people should start undergoing tests for diabetes every year once they reach age 35. If these tests show type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, people can start making adjustments sooner.

Age is a key factor in type 2 diabetes risk. Most people with type 2 diabetes receive a diagnosis at ages 45–64.

Sex, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic factors can also affect a person’s risk of developing the condition.

Lifestyle adjustments and medication programs can help people manage type 2 diabetes.

Below are some frequently asked questions about diabetes onset.

Can a person have diabetes from birth?

In very rare cases, a person can have diabetes from birth. Doctors refer to this as neonatal diabetes. It is the result of genetic changes.

Can I get type 2 diabetes in my 20s?

It is possible to get diabetes at any age. However, the condition is less common in people younger than 45 years of age.

Is diabetes common in 30-year-olds?

Diabetes is more common in older adults. However, 4.2% of U.S. adults aged 18–44 have diabetes. The ADA recommends annual screening for people aged 35 and older.

Does race impact diabetes onset?

Diabetes is more prevalent among people of certain races and ethnicities. In the U.S., the prevalence of diabetes in various groups is as follows:

14.5% of Native American and Alaskan Native people
12.1% of non-Hispanic Black people
11.8% of Hispanic people
9.5% of Asian American people
7.4% of non-Hispanic white people

Read this article in Spanish.

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious and growing problems affecting people of all ages and all countries. Diabetes gets sick much more often than it seems at first glance. Currently, more than 180 million people with diabetes are registered in the world. But according to experts, the number of undetected cases of diabetes, including early stages, can be 2-3 times higher than the number of detected ones.

More than 3 million people with diabetes are officially registered in Russia.

Diabetes is not a single disease. There are the following types of diabetes mellitus:

Type 1 diabetes mellitus - occurs mainly at a young age;

Diabetes mellitus type 2 - is detected, as a rule, at the age of 35-40 years and more. Recently, it is more often diagnosed at a younger age;

Gestational diabetes - diagnosed during pregnancy;

Other types of diabetes, eg due to another endocrine disease (diseases of the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, thyroid gland), or as part of genetic syndromes.

Of course, the largest proportion of people (over 90%) have type 2 diabetes associated with the current high prevalence of obesity. Therefore, they even talk about an epidemic of diabetes!

Whatever the type of diabetes, the main symptom of diabetes is high blood sugar. In a healthy person, sugar in whole capillary blood on an empty stomach ranges from 3.3 to 5.5 mmol / l.

Signs of high blood sugar include: thirst, increased urination, increased urine output, weakness, fatigue, poor wound healing, weight loss for no reason, itchy skin and mucous membranes.

Features of diabetes depending on the type:

Type 1 diabetes mellitus

More often diagnosed in children, adolescents and young adults. In this type of diabetes, pancreatic b-cells are attacked by the immune system and do not secrete insulin. It is diagnosed in 5-10% of cases of the total number of patients with diabetes. The clinical picture of type 1 diabetes develops over a short period of time and includes thirst, frequent urination, constant hunger, weight loss, decreased vision, and weakness. A tendency to develop ketoacidotic coma is characteristic.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age, even in childhood, but this form of diabetes is more common in older, obese, sedentary individuals with a family history of diabetes 2 types. About 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Usually, in this type of diabetes, the pancreas produces a sufficient amount of insulin, but for unknown reasons, a state of insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia develops. After some time, insulin secretion decreases, and an excess amount of glucose enters the bloodstream. The clinic of diabetes mellitus develops gradually, not as quickly as in type 1 diabetes. Patients experience weakness, frequent urination, constant thirst, weight loss, decreased vision, and slow wound healing.

Gestational diabetes

May develop late in pregnancy. Although blood glucose levels usually return to normal after childbirth, women with a history of gestational diabetes are at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

Factors predisposing to the development of diabetes:

Hereditary predisposition.

Obesity.

Diseases of the pancreas - pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, diseases of other endocrine glands. Trauma may be the precipitating factor in this case.

Viral infections (rubella, chicken pox, epidemic hepatitis and some other diseases, including influenza). These infections can act as a trigger for the development of the disease.

Stress. It is especially necessary to avoid nervous and emotional overstrain for people with a burdened heredity and those who are overweight.

Age. The older the person, the more reason to be afraid of diabetes. It is believed that every ten years the age increases, the risk of developing diabetes doubles.

The group of people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes who require examination and a mandatory glucose tolerance test includes:

Close relatives of people with diabetes.

Overweight persons (BMI > 27 kg/m2).

Women who give birth with a large fetus.

Women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.

Persons suffering from arterial hypertension (BP >140/90 mmHg).

Individuals with HDL cholesterol levels less than 0.9mmol/l.

Persons whose triglyceride level reaches 2.8 mmol/L.

Persons with episodic glucosuria and hyperglycemia detected in stressful situations (surgery, injury, illness).

Persons with chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys, cardiovascular system.

Persons with manifestations of the metabolic syndrome.

Patients receiving long-term diabetogenic drugs (synthetic estrogens, diuretics, corticosteroids, etc.).

Healthy people over the age of 45 (it is advisable for them to be examined at least once every three years).

How not to get diabetes? And what do we know about this disease?

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Image caption,

Type 1 diabetes usually appears during childhood or adolescence. Sometimes it has a genetic cause, but it can also be caused by a viral infection

Diabetes is a serious disease that kills more than a million people every year and can affect anyone.

Diabetes occurs when our body cannot cope with the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The blood becomes thick, and over time, this can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and gangrene of the lower extremities.

Diabetes is on the rise: there are 422 million diabetics in the world today, almost four times as many as just 40 years ago, according to WHO.

However, despite the huge threat that diabetes poses to health, half of diabetics are not even aware of their disease.

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What causes diabetes?

When we eat food, our body converts the carbohydrates it contains into sugar (glucose). Insulin, a pancreatic hormone, is responsible for its absorption, which gives the cells a signal to absorb glucose dissolved in the blood and use it as an energy source.

Diabetes occurs when the production of insulin stops or the hormone stops working properly, causing sugar to build up in the blood.

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What are the types of diabetes?

There are several types of diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes the pancreas stops producing insulin and sugar begins to accumulate in the blood. Most often this happens quite early - in childhood or adolescence.

Scientists still do not know exactly why this happens, but they believe that a genetic predisposition or a viral infection that damages the cells of the pancreas responsible for the production of insulin may play a role. Approximately 10% of diabetics suffer from type 1 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetics do not completely stop producing insulin, but either not enough is being produced or something is preventing it from working effectively.

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Image caption
Insulin, which allows our body to process sugar, is produced by the pancreas are obese or lead a sedentary lifestyle. Representatives of certain peoples are also more inclined to it - especially people from South Asia.

Pregnant women are sometimes diagnosed with gestational diabetes - this means that their body does not produce enough insulin to provide enough for themselves and the unborn child.

Depending on the evaluation criteria, between 6 and 16% of all pregnant women can be diagnosed with such a diagnosis - they need to closely monitor their blood sugar levels, keeping them normal through diet, exercise and / or insulin injections so that they do not developed type 2 diabetes.

There is also the so-called pre-diabetes - an increased level of glucose in the blood, which can also lead to the development of a full-fledged disease.

What are the symptoms of diabetes?

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Image caption,
Fatigue, persistent thirst, and frequent urination may be signs of developing diabetes

Some of the most common symptoms include:
- persistent thirst
- unusually frequent urination time
- increased fatigue
- weight loss for no reason
- decreased visual acuity
- cuts and scrapes that take a long time to heal
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes most often develop during childhood or adolescence and are much more severe.

The risk group for type 2 diabetes usually includes people over 40 years of age (South Asians - over 25), as well as relatives of diabetics (siblings, children) and people who are overweight.

Can I prevent the disease?

Your risk of developing diabetes depends on genetic and environmental factors, but you can keep your blood sugar at normal levels through a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

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Image caption,
One way to reduce the risk of diabetes is to replace refined sugars and white flour products with fruits and whole grain products

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You can start by cutting back on confectionery and sugary drinks, and replacing white bread and pasta with wholemeal products.

Foods made from refined sugars and refined grains contain fewer nutrients because vitamins and fibers are found predominantly in the hulls of the grains. Examples of such foods are white flour, white bread, white rice, white pasta, baked goods, sodas, sweets, and sugar-added breakfast cereals.

A healthy diet includes vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, as well as healthy vegetable oils, nuts and fish varieties rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as sardine, salmon or mackerel.

It is important to eat at regular intervals to avoid overeating.

Exercise can also help lower blood sugar levels. Doctors recommend spending at least two and a half hours a week doing aerobic activities like walking or climbing stairs.

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Image caption,
Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and exercising for at least two and a half hours a week is important

It will be easier for your body to maintain normal blood sugar levels if you are not overweight. But if you need to lose weight, it is better to do it slowly, losing no more than 0. 5-1 kg per week.

To reduce the risk of heart disease, it is best not to smoke and to monitor your cholesterol levels.

What are the complications of diabetes?

High blood sugar levels can severely damage blood vessels.

When the blood thickens, it becomes more difficult for it to move around the body - it may not reach some cells at all, which increases the risk of nerve damage (loss of sensation and pain), loss of vision and infectious diseases of the feet.

According to WHO, diabetes is one of the main causes of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and gangrene of the lower extremities leading to leg amputation.

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Image caption,
A heart attack is one of the possible complications of diabetes

In 2016 alone, about 1.6 million people died from the direct effects of diabetes.

How many people have diabetes?

According to WHO, between 1980 and 2014, the number of diabetics worldwide increased from 108 million to 422 million.
Learn more