What are the Causes of Diabetes?
Unfortunately, there are many theories about what causes diabetes but no real certainties. Most doctors agree that there are specific factors that are generally present, and when they consider these things, along with the way this disease manifests itself in the body, they feel they are able to offer realistic speculations on what causes diabetes.
What are the Most Likely Causes of Diabetes?
It is overwhelming believed in the medical community that what causes diabetes is the presence of genetic traits. Diabetes usually runs in families, and seems to depend on the blood relationship of the relatives. For instance, having one parent who is diabetic may only increase the likelihood of their children developing this illness by only a few percent. However, if both parents have this condition the odds are almost certain that any offspring will have diabetes diagnosed at some time in their lives.
Increasing age is also a factor believed to cause diabetes, with over 80% of those newly diagnosed with this disease over the age of 50. People involved in nutritional research agree that what causes diabetes is a poor diet with high consumption of refined foods and low protein and fiber intake. They additionally cite obesity as a condition for developing diabetes, because an abundance of body fat contributes to increased insulin resistance. A sedentary lifestyle and stress are on the list to answer the question of what causes diabetes. In some cases, certain prescription drugs have been known to cause this disease. There are medical researchers who strongly point to evidence that what causes diabetes is an infection that attacks the pancreas. High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels seem to increase the chances of developing diabetes. Interestingly, there are certain ethnic groups that are more likely to become diabetic. African Americans, Latinos, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders carry a higher risk, although no convincing medical reasons for this have been set forth.
How to Decrease Your Chances of Developing Diabetes
Since it's obvious there is not one definitive answer as to what causes diabetes, there are several areas in which you can guard yourself against this incurable disease. Obviously, you can't change your family history or gene pool, but you can monitor your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Getting adequate exercise and making wise food choices will contribute to your overall health while decreasing the possibility of a diagnosis of diabetes. If you do fall into one of the higher risk categories because of your genetic makeup, age or ethnicity, regular checkups will give you an early warning and will allow you to start appropriate treatments if it becomes necessary.
