Diabetes: Risk factors explored








(NC) — Type 2 diabetes is a preventable, sometimes life-threatening condition affecting more than 2.5 million Canadians. Left untreated, diabetes can lead to many serious complications, including heart and kidney disease, vision loss, lower limb amputation, and even premature death.

If you have one or more of these risk factors, you may be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes:

Being overweight or obese

High blood pressure

Physically inactive

With increased physical activity and healthy eating the effect of these risk factors can be reduced.

The following risk factors for type 2 diabetes cannot be changed, but if you have one or more of them, healthy lifestyle choices can still help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes:

Family history of diabetes

Pre-diabetes (when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes)

Member of some ethnic populations including South Asian, East Asian, Aboriginal and Black

History of gestational (pregnancy) diabetes

Age (people 40 years of age or older are at higher risk)

The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed a new tool called CANRISK to help Canadians assess their risks of developing type 2 diabetes and to encourage them to make healthy lifestyle decisions to prevent it.

The questionnaire can be taken online at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca or at Shoppers Drug Mart/ Pharmaprix, Pharmasave, Rexall, and Loblaw pharmacies. CANRISK is also available as a free app through the Apple store.

CANRISK only takes a few minutes and results are instantaneous. Results can be shared with your health care providers. You can also obtain Your Guide to Diabetes online or by calling 1-800-O-Canada.

Both CANRISK and Your Guide to Diabetes are available in 11 alternate languages: Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, Korean, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Tamil, Tagalog, Farsi, and Spanish. These can be ordered through e-mail at PSD-DPS@phac-aspc.gc.ca.


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