A Weekly Medical Minute: Prediabetes

Prediabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes.

An estimated 1 in 3 U.S. adults aged 18 years or older (84.1 million people) have prediabetes, according to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Without intervention, up to one-third of people with prediabetes could develop full-fledged diabetes in five years or less.

You are at higher risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if you are 45 years of age or older, overweight, have a family history of diabetes, are not physically active, or are a woman who had diabetes while pregnant.

If you have prediabetes, healthy lifestyle changes may reduce the chance that you’ll get type 2 diabetes. Here are some things you can do:
1. Lose Weight — Losing 5% to 7% percent of your body weight can lower your risk a lot. If you weigh 200 pounds that means your goal should be to lose just 10 to 14 pounds.
2. Eat Right — Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products, but low in meats, sweets, and grains. Stay away from sugary drinks, like soda and juice.
3. Be Active — Do at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or similar activity. That’s just 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Al Miller, Miller Custom Education, Inc.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2017.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes: Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html. Accessed August 28, 2019.

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