{"id":63658,"date":"2025-05-01T10:49:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T16:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=63658"},"modified":"2026-01-15T08:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T15:54:25","slug":"6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"6 things you should know about diabetes and prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_63660\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-63660\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-63660\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny.webp\" alt=\"four people of different ethnic backgrounds sitting on chairs. Ethnicity and family history play a part in your risk for diabetes.\" width=\"640\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny-300x177.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny-768x454.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny-150x89.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny-200x118.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-63660\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Who is prone to diabetes? And how can you delay or prevent diabetes? Here are six things you should know. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. A person&#8217;s lifestyle, as well as their ethnicity and family history, increases the risk for diabetes.\u00a0 Whether it is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, it is chronic. \u00a0Although there is no cure, treatment can keep blood glucose in a healthy range.<\/p>\n<p>The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years, <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">according to the CDC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cecilia Jamieson is a clinical diabetes educator with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-endocrinology-fort-collins\/\">UCHealth Diabetes and Endocrinology Care in northern Colorado<\/a>. She lays out the basics about diabetes, from genetics and lifestyle risks to prevention, so you can better understand \u2014 and hopefully prevent \u2014 this chronic disease.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<h4><strong>Act now to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Are you overweight? Have you been told your blood sugar is &#8220;running a little high?&#8221; The time is now for you to make lifestyle changes to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>This yearlong lifestyle change program helps adults at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes prevent or delay the disease process. Research by the National Institutes of Health has shown that 58-71% of participants over the age of 60 prevent Type 2 diabetes with this program.<\/p>\n<p>To find out if you qualify for the National Diabetes Prevention Program offered through UCHealth or to register, call Lindsay at <a href=\"tel:9704958777\">970.495.8777<\/a>. Information on the next scheduled classes\u00a0can be found on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/events\/\">UCHealth events page<\/a> by searching &#8220;diabetes prevention.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Are there different types of diabetes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Yes, there are 4 types of diabetes:\u00a0 Type 1, Prediabetes, Type 2, and gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the cells that produce insulin. People with Type 1 diabetes need to replace the needed insulin by injection.<\/p>\n<p>Type 2 diabetes tends to be related more to insulin resistance. While there often is a decrease in insulin production, the body still produces some insulin. People with Type 2 diabetes often can manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels through healthy eating, exercise and medications.\u00a0 Since Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, sometimes insulin is needed as part of treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Gestational diabetes is when blood glucose becomes elevated during pregnancy. The management of gestational diabetes also involves healthy eating, exercise, and sometimes medications or insulin. \u00a0The goal is to keep blood glucose in the target range throughout the pregnancy to provide the best environment for the developing baby.<\/p>\n<p>Prediabetes is when you have higher-than-normal blood sugar levels but are not yet high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes. It is still a serious health condition but allows you to get your blood sugar levels under control, therefore, delaying or avoiding Type 2 diabetes. Just 5-7% weight loss can lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 58%, which jumps to 71% if you\u2019re over 60. UCHealth offers a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/type-2-diabetes-prevention-genetics-as-your-guide-not-your-fate\/\">Diabetes Prevention Program<\/a>\u00a0for prediabetes, which Medicare and some insurance plans cover.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What puts us at risk for diabetes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are approximately 26 million Americans who currently live with diabetes. Almost 95%\u00a0have Type 2, while only<strong>\u00a05%<\/strong>\u00a0(or about\u00a01.3 million)\u00a0have Type 1.<\/p>\n<p>Type 1 diabetes primarily affects Caucasians but can also affect Latinos and other ethnicities.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Risk factors for the development of Type 2 diabetes include<\/strong>:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Having prediabetes<\/li>\n<li>Being overweight<\/li>\n<li>Being 45 years or older<\/li>\n<li>Having a first-degree relative (father, mother or sibling) with Type 2 diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Being physically active less than three times a week<\/li>\n<li>Having a history of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or having given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds<\/li>\n<li>Smoking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>African American, Hispanic\/Latino American, American Indian, Alaska Native, some Pacific Islanders and Asian American ethnicities have a higher risk for Type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes with simple, proven\u00a0lifestyle changes such as losing weight if you\u2019re overweight,\u00a0<a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eating healthier<\/a> and getting regular\u00a0<a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/living-with\/physical-activity.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">physical activity<\/a>,\u201d Jamieson said.<\/p>\n<p>Prediabetes is extremely common, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne in every three Americans has prediabetes, and 90% of them don&#8217;t know it,&#8221; Jamieson said. \u201cThe risk factors for developing prediabetes are the same as for Type 2 diabetes. The lifestyle changes that prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes can also help prevent prediabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <a id=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/prevention\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CDC-led\u00a0<\/a>National Diabetes Prevention Program\u00a0can help people make healthy changes that have lasting results. The Diabetes Prevention Program is facilitated by Lifestyle coaches and is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/diabetes-endocrinology-care\/diabetes-management\/\">available at UCHealth (learn more in the informational box at the top of this article)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/about\/about-type-1-diabetes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Type 1 diabetes<\/a>\u00a0is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks its insulin-producing cells). Risk factors for\u00a0Type 1 diabetes are not as straightforward as prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Known risk factors for Type 1 diabetes include:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Family history. Having a parent, brother, or sister with Type 1 diabetes.<\/li>\n<li>You can get Type 1 diabetes at any age, but it\u2019s more likely to develop when you\u2019re a child, teen or young adult.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cIn the United States, Caucasians are more likely to develop Type 1 diabetes than African Americans and Hispanic\/Latino Americans. Currently, there is no method for preventing Type 1 diabetes,\u201d Jamieson said.<\/p>\n<p>The same ethnic groups at higher risk for the development of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes also have a higher risk for gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Women are at risk for developing\u00a0<a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/about\/gestational-diabetes.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gestational diabetes<\/a>\u00a0if they:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy<\/li>\n<li>Gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds<\/li>\n<li>Are overweight<\/li>\n<li>Are over 25 years old<\/li>\n<li>Have a family history of Type 2 diabetes<\/li>\n<li>Have a hormone disorder called\u00a0<a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/diabetes\/risk-factors\/pcos-polycystic-ovary-syndrome.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">polycystic ovary syndrome<\/a>\u00a0(PCOS)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cGestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby&#8217;s birth but increases the risk for having Type 2 diabetes later in life,\u201d Jamieson said. \u201cThe baby is more likely to be overweight or obese as a child or teen and is more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before getting pregnant, healthy lifestyle changes including diet, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can decrease the risk of developing gestational diabetes.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Does my family history or ethnicity influence my risk of getting diabetes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Jamieson said that specific ethnic populations, including Hispanics\/Latinos, have a higher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/type-2-diabetes-prevention-genetics-as-your-guide-not-your-fate\/\">rate of prediabetes<\/a> and Type 2 diabetes. Family history is also an important risk factor and should lead to earlier screening.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe risk is especially high if the family member with diabetes is a first-degree relative \u2013 meaning a mother, father, or sibling,\u201d she said. \u201cThat does not mean the development of diabetes is inevitable&#8211;even if you have a first-degree relative with diabetes. Lifestyle changes such as changing your diet, increasing physical activity and sometimes losing weight can significantly decrease your risk for developing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHaving said that, genetics can play a large part in the development. Even if the person follows a healthy lifestyle, some people may still develop diabetes at some point in their lives. But those that have healthy lifestyles tend to develop diabetes later in life and sometimes not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why should I be concerned about preventing diabetes? Is it something I can get rid of once I get it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cYou can manage diabetes and control the blood glucose values. You may even get the values back into a normal range. But once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it will not go away,\u201d Jamieson said.<\/p>\n<p>Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can lead to other serious complications, such as kidney failure, blindness and amputation of a toe, foot or leg.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople with diabetes spend more on health care, have fewer productive years, and miss more workdays than people who don&#8217;t have diabetes,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Whether someone has Type 1 or Type 2, quality of life is significantly better if the person effectively manages their diabetes. If they do not, the risk for serious complications is higher. Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/diabetes-endocrinology-care\/diabetes-management\/\">managing your diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How do I know if I have diabetes, prediabetes, or heading in that direction?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Symptoms of diabetes may include feeling tired, sluggish and low on energy. Other symptoms can include excessive thirst, frequent urination, and blurry vision.<\/p>\n<p>The only definitive way to know is to get tested. Your primary care clinic can help you with this.<\/p>\n<p>Establishing a primary care physician can help you avoid or manage diabetes. Annual wellness visits with your primary care doctor, including blood work, will catch early signs of diabetes and prediabetes. Your doctor can then help you create a plan for the prevention or management of the disease.<\/p>\n<p>Screening for diabetes can include a fasting glucose test (not eating or drinking anything but water for 8-12 hours prior to the test) or an A1C blood test. \u00a0If fasting values are above 100 or A1C is higher than 5.6%, that may indicate prediabetes. If fasting values are above 126 or A1C is higher than 6.4%. That may mean Type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can my child or I get diabetes from overeating sugar? What are the other misconceptions related to getting diabetes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThere are many misconceptions about what leads to the development of diabetes,\u201d Jamieson said. \u201cA prevalent misconception is that eating too much sugar will cause or lead to diabetes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Diabetes is often genetic and can occur in otherwise healthy people. Unhealthy lifestyles can also increase the risk of developing diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;But, no one who develops diabetes should feel guilty or beat themselves up about it,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are many people who follow unhealthy lifestyles and have several risk factors but never develop it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is most important for people to get the education they need to manage it. Those who actively manage their diabetes can live long, healthy lives.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Diabetes is a long-term health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. A person&#8217;s lifestyle, as well as their ethnicity and family history, increases the risk for diabetes.\u00a0 Whether it is Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, it is chronic. \u00a0Although there is no cure, treatment can keep blood glucose in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":63660,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4414,988,199,2635,200,4853,1046,9187],"class_list":["post-63658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-adult-wellness","tag-diabetes-endocrinology-care","tag-diabetes-care","tag-diabetes-management","tag-diabetes-prevention","tag-family-program","tag-health-screening","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>6 things you should know about diabetes and prevention - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understanding diabetes, from the different types to genetic and lifestyle risks, can help you prevent or delay this chronic disease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 things you should know about diabetes and prevention\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understanding diabetes, from the different types to genetic and lifestyle risks, can help you prevent or delay this chronic disease.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-01T16:49:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-15T15:54:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/04\/26102535\/Getty-four-people-tiny.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"6 things you should know about diabetes and prevention\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T16:49:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-15T15:54:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1616,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/6-things-you-should-know-about-diabetes\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/26102535\\\/Getty-four-people-tiny.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Adult Wellness\",\"Diabetes &amp; endocrinology care\",\"Diabetes care\",\"Diabetes management\",\"Diabetes prevention\",\"Family program\",\"Health screening\",\"Ready. 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And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. 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