Do You Have Prediabetes? Taking Action Can Be the Best Medicine
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes— a serious health condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 96 million American adults—more than one in three—have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, more than 80% are unaware they have it. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. However, you have the power to change things.
Causes and Symptoms
What causes prediabetes? Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that lets blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have prediabetes, the cells in your body do not respond normally to insulin. This causes your pancreas to produce even more insulin to get the cells to respond. Eventually, your pancreas cannot keep up and your blood sugar rises, which sets the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so this condition often goes undetected until serious health problems arise. It is important to talk to your provider about getting a simple blood sugar test if you have any of these risk factors:
Being overweight
Being 45 years or older
Having an immediate family member with type 2 diabetes
Being physically active less than three 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 also are important factors in determining risk for prediabetes. African Americans, Hispanic/Latinx Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders and some Asian Americans are at higher risk for developing higher than normal blood glucose levels.
If you discover that you have prediabetes, this does not mean you will develop type 2 diabetes – especially if you make changes to your lifestyle through healthier food choices and daily physical activity. Even small changes can have a huge impact.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
If you have prediabetes, losing a small amount of weight 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. This amounts to 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. This amounts to just 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
A lifestyle change program offered through the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can help you make necessary lifestyle changes and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58% (71% if you are 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
Ask your doctor if there is a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program offered in your community or find one here. The best time to prevent prediabetes and type 2 diabetes is now.
Pacific Federal is a Zenith American company and subsidiary of Harbour Benefit Holdings, Inc.
