Type 2 Diabetes - Screening to Detect Diabetes As Early As Possible
Millions of individuals have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately, the scientific community knows that there are millions more who are unaware that they are diabetic, as well.
That's why it is important to know all that is available about diabetic screening so that these individuals can receive the treatment they need.
The first factor that you need to look for is age: This will automatically include many who are at a much elevated risk.
Experts recommend any individual who is 45 years of age or older should be tested for Type 2 diabetes.
If a person is this age and is overweight, this dramatically increases the need to be tested.
But being over 45 is not a definite cutoff point: People who are younger can have significant criteria that makes them much more of a candidate for screening.
In fact, for those who are included in the following criteria it is recommended the screening age be dropped to 30.
Unfortunately, due to lifestyle changes over the last few decades, many more people are developing Type 2 diabetes at a younger age.
There were always some people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes early in adulthood, but these were the exception rather than the norm.
Individuals of certain ethnic origins are at more of a risk: This includes Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native American, Native Alaskan, African and Hispanic.
While all ethnic groups can be included as potential sufferers of diabetes, these have proven to be at a much higher probability level.
One factor that has an immense impact is having a family history of Type 2 diabetes: When a parent has diabetes, the risk the child will also contract it depends on the age of the parent at the time of diagnosis.
For parents who were diagnosed before age 50, the child's chances of contracting it are 1 in 7.
After the age of 50, diagnosis lowers the likelihood to 1 in 13.
Family diagnosis also includes siblings.
But there is even more bad news.
If both parents are unfortunate enough to have Type 2 diabetes the chances of a child developing it skyrockets to 1 in 2.
The same ratio applies if parents have certain rare types of Type 2 diabetes versus the more common strains.
Gestational diabetes: Another group of people who should be leery of Type 2 diabetes are women who contracted diabetes while being pregnant.
Even if the diabetes disappears after delivery, which is common, the likelihood is there they will contract it if they become pregnant again.
Plus, even after they decide not to have any more children, they still remain at an elevated risk versus women who never developed the gestational type of diabetes.
In fact women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
It is also often found a child born to a mother with gestational diabetes is at a higher risk of becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Unfortunately, the scientific community knows that there are millions more who are unaware that they are diabetic, as well.
That's why it is important to know all that is available about diabetic screening so that these individuals can receive the treatment they need.
The first factor that you need to look for is age: This will automatically include many who are at a much elevated risk.
Experts recommend any individual who is 45 years of age or older should be tested for Type 2 diabetes.
If a person is this age and is overweight, this dramatically increases the need to be tested.
But being over 45 is not a definite cutoff point: People who are younger can have significant criteria that makes them much more of a candidate for screening.
In fact, for those who are included in the following criteria it is recommended the screening age be dropped to 30.
Unfortunately, due to lifestyle changes over the last few decades, many more people are developing Type 2 diabetes at a younger age.
There were always some people being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes early in adulthood, but these were the exception rather than the norm.
Individuals of certain ethnic origins are at more of a risk: This includes Asian, Pacific Islanders, Native American, Native Alaskan, African and Hispanic.
While all ethnic groups can be included as potential sufferers of diabetes, these have proven to be at a much higher probability level.
One factor that has an immense impact is having a family history of Type 2 diabetes: When a parent has diabetes, the risk the child will also contract it depends on the age of the parent at the time of diagnosis.
For parents who were diagnosed before age 50, the child's chances of contracting it are 1 in 7.
After the age of 50, diagnosis lowers the likelihood to 1 in 13.
Family diagnosis also includes siblings.
But there is even more bad news.
If both parents are unfortunate enough to have Type 2 diabetes the chances of a child developing it skyrockets to 1 in 2.
The same ratio applies if parents have certain rare types of Type 2 diabetes versus the more common strains.
Gestational diabetes: Another group of people who should be leery of Type 2 diabetes are women who contracted diabetes while being pregnant.
Even if the diabetes disappears after delivery, which is common, the likelihood is there they will contract it if they become pregnant again.
Plus, even after they decide not to have any more children, they still remain at an elevated risk versus women who never developed the gestational type of diabetes.
In fact women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
It is also often found a child born to a mother with gestational diabetes is at a higher risk of becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.
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