Jan. 29, 2024&mdash;You probably already know that being overweight raises your risk for type 2 diabetes. But weight isn't the whole picture.
Your family health history, ethnicity and age can all affect your risk for developing diabetes. So can a few risk factors that might surprise you, including: 
Smoking. The chemicals in cigarette smoke harm your body in many ways, says the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=fda">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a>. Essentially, smoking damages your cells, which can cause inflammation throughout your body. As a result, your body becomes less responsive to insulin (called insulin resistance), making it harder for you to manage your blood sugar levels. 
Alcohol use. Heavy alcohol use can damage your pancreas, which can limit its ability to make the insulin your body needs. It also adds sugar to your diet. If you're concerned about how alcohol might be affecting your health, let your doctor know. 
High blood pressure. People with high blood pressure (hypertension) are more likely to experience insulin resistance than people without it&mdash;and they're at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. That may be because high blood pressure and diabetes are both linked to other risk factors, such as obesity and inflammation. And some research suggests that high blood pressure may worsen insulin resistance. 
Lack of sleep. Inadequate sleep&mdash;fewer than seven hours per night&mdash;can make it more challenging to eat a sensible diet and maintain a healthy weight. It can even cause your body to become more insulin-resistant, and it's been linked to increased blood sugar. 
Stress. You can't avoid stress completely, and not all of it is bad. But when you're chronically stressed, your body steps up its production of stress hormones, such as cortisol, which can affect the way your body processes glucose. It can also affect the way your immune system and endocrine system communicate. That can increase inflammation, which has been linked to diabetes. If you're experiencing chronic stress, finding ways to cope may help you reduce your risk for diabetes and other health problems. 
Inactivity. Getting regular exercise helps your body control your blood sugar. Not getting enough is linked to insulin resistance. To help prevent diabetes, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=niddkd">National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases</a> recommends being active for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. 
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We're still learning how PCOS is linked to problems using insulin, but it's common for people with PCOS to have insulin resistance. And the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.netreturns.biz/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=cdc">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> says that, by age 40, more than half of women who have PCOS get type 2 diabetes.
What's your risk?
Our <a href="[BASEDOMAIN]/healthinfo/Story.aspx?StoryId=34302b70-1fa2-4fe4-b51f-c9d952ca755e">diabetes risk assessment</a> can help you learn more about your own risk. Share the results with your doctor and ask what you can do to help prevent or delay diabetes.
Sources
<ul>
 <li>American Heart Association. "Diabetes Risk Factors." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/understand-your-risk-for-diabetes">https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/diabetes/understand-your-risk-for-diabetes</a>. </li>
 <li>American Psychological Association. "Stress Effects on the Body." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body">https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body</a>. </li>
 <li>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and Diabetes." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html">https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/pcos.html</a>. </li>
 <li>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Sleep and Chronic Disease." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/chronic_disease.html">https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/chronic_disease.html</a>. </li>
 <li>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Sleep for a Good Cause." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-sleep.html">https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-sleep.html</a>. </li>
 <li>Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, April 2022. "How Exposure to Chronic Stress Contributes to the Development of Type 2 Diabetes: A Complexity Science Approach." <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100972">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100972</a>. </li>
 <li>Life, Vol. 12, Issue 4. "Insulin Resistance Is Cheerfully Hitched With Hypertension." <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040564"> https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040564</a>. </li>
 <li>National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Insulin Resistance &amp; Prediabetes." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance">https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance</a>. </li>
 <li>National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. "Preventing Type 2 Diabetes." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-type-2-diabetes">https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-type-2-diabetes</a>. </li>
 <li>U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "How Smoking Can Increase Risk for and Affect Diabetes." <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/health-effects-tobacco-use/how-smoking-can-increase-risk-and-affect-diabetes">https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/health-effects-tobacco-use/how-smoking-can-increase-risk-and-affect-diabetes</a>.</li>
</ul>

Diabetes risk factors that might surprise you

Body weight is just a part of the picture.