Prediabetes
– Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
What Is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a serious
health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high
enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Approximately 96 million
American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes,
more than 80% don’t know they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased
risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
What Causes Prediabetes?
Insulin is a hormone made by
your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as
energy. If you have prediabetes, the cells in your body don’t respond normally
to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond.
Eventually your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the
stage for prediabetes—and type 2 diabetes down the road.
Signs & Symptoms
You can have prediabetes for
years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious
health problems such as type 2 diabetes show up. It’s important to talk to your
doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk
factors for prediabetes, which include:
- Being
overweight
- Being
45 years or older
- Having
a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Being
physically active less than 3 times a week
- Ever
having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or
giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Having polycystic ovary syndrome
Race and ethnicity are also a
factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific
Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk.
Simple Blood Sugar Test
You can get a simple blood
sugar test to find out if you have prediabetes. Ask your doctor if you
should be tested.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
If you have prediabetes,
losing a small amount of weight if you’re overweight and getting regular
physical activity can lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. A small
amount of weight loss means around 5% to 7% of your body weight, just 10 to 14
pounds for a 200-pound person. Regular physical activity means getting at least
150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity. That’s just 30
minutes a day, five days a week.
You can lower your risk of
developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58% (71% if you’re over age 60). Highlights
include:
- Working
with a trained coach to make realistic, lasting lifestyle changes.
- Discovering
how to eat healthy and add more physical activity into your day.
- Finding
out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow
your progress.
- Getting support from people with
similar goals and challenges.
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