OTHER RISK FACTORS in getting Type 2 Diabetes:
*Although obesity and genetics are the primary risk factors for the development of T2DM, other health and environmental issues, such as hypertension, smoking, alcohol and sleep deprivation also play a role. The association between hypertension and T2DM has been the subject of several studies in the medical community. This link is based on the role that angiotensin plays in the body.
Angiotensin, produced by the blood, can affect blood pressure and interfere with normal metabolic signaling of insulin. Angiotensin is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and a subsequent increase in blood pressure. It is part of the renin-angiotensin system, which is a major target for drugs that lower blood pressure. Angiotensin also stimulates the release of aldosterone, another hormone, from the adrenal cortex. Aldosterone promotes sodium retention in the distal nephron, in the kidney, which also drives blood pressure up.
*Smoking has also been linked to the development of T2DM through several recent prospective studies.
*Alcohol as a risk for T2DM, there are two separate classifications to consider – moderate use of alcohol vs. excessive use. Like many things in life, moderate use does not appear to be a risk factor, in fact, it actually may have protective benefits. Excessive use of alcohol does appear to be a potential risk factor for T2DM. Recent systematic review and meta-analysis confirmed previous studies regarding the role of moderate alcohol consumption. This research revealed that when users consumed 22 grams of alcohol daily, protective benefits were seen. On the contrary, when users consumed more than 50 grams of alcohol per day, the protective benefits were negated and harmful affects occurred.
*Poor daily sleep-Scientists are investigating lack of sleep as another recent emerging risk factor for T2DM. Data from the Nurse’s Health Study (2012) assessed more than 70,000 women over a 10-year period concerning potential negative health issues caused by decreased sleep. The results of this prospective study suggested that these women had a 57% increased risk of developing T2DM. Another corroborative study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey advised that test subjects with less than five hours of nightly sleep had a 47% increase in the incidence of T2DM over a 10-year period.
*Studies have shown that individuals with metabolic syndrome have five times the risk of developing T2DM than people without the disorder. Furthermore, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is on the way to overtaking smoking as the leading risk factor for heart disease.
Metabolic syndrome is a disorder of energy utilization and storage, diagnosed by a co-occurrence of three out of five of the following medical conditions: abdominal (central) obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.