Diabetes

You are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes if you have a parent, brother, or sister who has type 2 diabetes; are overweight; are 45 years or older; are physically active fewer than 3 times a week; or have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant) or given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds. African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also at higher risk. If you have any of these risk factors, talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested.

If you have diabetes, check your feet daily for sores, blisters, and other problems that could become serious if not treated early.

Talk to your doctor about getting tested for diabetes if you are pregnant. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after your baby is born; however, your risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life is higher. Visit your doctor to have your blood sugar tested 6 to 12 weeks after delivery and then every 1 to 3 years.

Heart disease is the leading cause of early death among people with diabetes. Adults with diabetes are more than twice as likely than people without diabetes to die of heart disease or have a stroke. Also, 3 in 4 people with diabetes have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.

High blood sugar and high blood pressure can cause small blood vessels to swell and leak liquid into the retina of the eye, blurring the vision and sometimes leading to blindness. People with diabetes are also more likely to develop cataracts (clouding of the lens) and glaucoma (a group of diseases that damages the optic nerve).