This form of diabetes usually develops in children or young adults, but can occur at any age. This form of diabetes usually occurs in people who are over 40, overweight, and have a family history of diabetes. People with diabetes frequently experience certain symptoms. In this case, people can live for months, even years without knowing they have the disease. This form of diabetes comes on so gradually that symptoms may not even be recognized.
Diabetes can occur in anyone.
However, people who have close relatives with the disease are somewhat more likely to develop it. The risk of developing diabetes also increases as people grow older. People who are over 40 and overweight are more likely to develop diabetes. So are people of African-American, Hispanic or Asian heritage. There are certain things that everyone who has diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2, needs to do to be healthy.