How to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Are you getting enough sleep? Doctors recommend that you get 6-7 hours of sleep each night.

Type 2 diabetes is very common in the U.S., affecting one in eight people, and the average in Western New York is slightly higher, said Dr. Ajay Chaudhuri, medical director of the Kaleida Health Diabetes and Endocrinology Center.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the body is unable to use insulin, a hormone that lowers blood sugar levels, resulting in the body becoming resistant to it. Dr. Chaudhuri detailed a recent study published in the American Medical Association Network Open Journal that showed that getting five hours or less of sleep increases the risk of diabetes. The study also looked at the impact of a healthy diet.

“Typically, eating a healthy diet reduces your risk of developing diabetes,” he says, “but this study found that even if you eat a healthy diet, getting less than five hours of sleep still increases your risk of developing diabetes.”

Dr Chaudhuri says eating a healthy diet remains crucial for people with type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Chaudhuri says there are a lot of things you can do to find out your risk. People who are at risk for developing diabetes can take what the American Diabetes Association calls a “risk test.” WebsiteYou can also have a blood test to check your blood sugar levels.

Dr Chaudhry says lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active can help reduce your risk: walking 30 minutes each day reduces your risk of developing diabetes by 58%.