Known as a silent killer, diabetes affects over 8 percent of the total population in the US. Despite the numbers, Cedars Sinai says as many as 7 million people are unaware they suffer from the disorder.
Fortunately, there’s a simple test you can do at home to gauge your risk of type 2 diabetes. You can do it in no time at all, and it could be the most important thing you do today.
Simple test to calculate your risk of type 2 diabetes
Diabetes UK’s Risk Score website specifies that you must be 18 or over to use its online tool. Besides that, all you need is a tape measure and weighing scales.
Enter your gender and age, followed by your ethnic background. The website explain that some ethnic groups are statistically more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than others. Likewise, having a close relative with diabetes increases your risk of developing the disease.
Next, input your height and waist measurement. This will calculate your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a simple way to check if your weight is healthy for your height. It’s not a perfect indicator, because bodybuilders and other athletes with large amounts of muscle can have high BMI scores despite being healthy overall. But it’s a useful indicator nonetheless.
Finally, the test will ask you if a doctor has ever told you that you have high blood pressure, or given you medication for it. This matters because any treatments for high blood pressure will “contribute to your overall risk”.
The test will then give you a risk score based on your answers. The risk scores fall into four bands: low, medium, high and very high. You can complete the Diabetes UK test here.
Understanding the importance of waist circumference when estimating diabetes risk
Very Well Health explains that waist circumference is an “important factor” to know. It may be as important as BMI, which is a ratio of weight to height.
A large waist circumference indicates an “accumulation of fat in the intra-abdominal region”. In other words, fat buildup in the tummy area will expand your waistline.
Fat in this area can have adverse effects on the internal organs. It’s “more metabolically active” than fat in other areas of the body, the site adds.
Research shows that a person with a larger waist-to-hip ratio “faces an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes”. This is true regardless of whether they are overweight or obese.
Simple tools for type 2 diabetes prevention
The best way to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes is to make lifestyle changes, according to the World Health Organization. Its website lists four key pieces of advice to help prevent the disorder and its complications. These are:
- reach and keep a healthy body weight
- stay physically active with at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day
- eat a healthy diet and avoid sugar and saturated fat
- not smoke tobacco.
Between 1980 and 2014, the number of people with diabetes went up from 108 million to a whopping 422 million. It can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
For more information about diabetes, visit Cedars Sinai’s website.
