
One third of Americans are headed for diabetes - SQL2219
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/31/type-2-diabetes-may-hit-84-million-americans-and-they-dont-know-it.html
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0xcde4c3db
> The primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes is genetics, but excess weight,
> obesity and lack of exercise also contribute to this alarming medical trend.

How does genetics compare to age as a risk factor? The article touches on age
later (even saying that the risk rises exponentially after 65), but doesn't
give hard numbers, and I've had a hard time finding any that seem both
relevant and credible. The closest I could find was a summary of a CDC report
[1] (edit: actually the source for this article; I didn't see the link before)
that found 4% prevalence of diabetes in the 14-44 age group, 17% in 45-64, and
25% in 65+. If genetics is an even bigger risk factor than that, it seems like
it's a _huge_ factor.

[1] [https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-
repor...](https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html)

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melling
“A simple blood test can detect prediabetes, a condition marked by higher-
than-normal blood sugar”

Why do you need a prescription in the US to get a blood test? I tried to get a
follow up to a test that I got at a local health fair, but I couldn’t do it
without a prescription, even if I would pay out of pocket.

Wouldn’t it be useful for people to monitor some basic numbers on a regular
basis without visiting a doctor?

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SQL2219
[https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-
alias%3...](https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-
alias%3Daps&field-keywords=aic+test)

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melling
I wasn’t speaking about blood glucose levels specifically. I had another
number that was marked as slightly high. That’s why I said blood tests.

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SQL2219
A1C is blood glucose over time, average over 3 months, this is the test that
shows if you're pre-diabetic.

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melling
Once again, I am not talking about A1C, but a battery of blood tests.

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georgepeterson
diabetes.... the new lung cancer

