Prediabetes-What Does That Mean?
Approximately 96 million American adults have prediabetes, according to the CDC. Your pancreas works hard to deliver insulin to break down glucose. Over time the pancreas tires out and cannot keep up with the glucose overload. This overload can lead to an increase in blood sugar.
When fasting blood sugars are between 100-125 mg/dl, you have prediabetes, as defined by the American Diabetes Association. If you are also overweight, over age 45, have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes, have gestational diabetes, or have polycystic ovary disease, these are risk factors for developing prediabetes. Race and ethnicity are also significant factors that increase your risk.
There are no FDA-approved treatments for prediabetes.
Get serious about lifestyle modification and get control of your health.
Work on weight loss
A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 17-25 is normal.
Greater than 30 is overweight.
Working on weight loss and maintaining the weight at a normal BMI is essential to keeping prediabetes from developing into diabetes.
Eat a healthy diet
What we choose to eat and how it is metabolized differs for each of us. The American Diabetes Association has designed a Diabetes Plate Method. This method is used when planning meals to help keep your glucose levels from rising too high.
Get physically active
A minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week is necessary to be physically fit. Walking 30 minutes, 5 days a week, is an excellent start to incorporating exercise into your life.
Manage stress
Stress can be both physically and mentally unhealthy. Learn how to manage stress to reduce your risk of overeating or other unhealthy habits.
Once you develop prediabetes, can you prevent it or even reverse it?
The answer is yes.
Work on weight loss, get your diet under control, get physically fit, and manage your stress. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risks, and make a plan to be proactive in your health.
Take the free online 60-second risk test offered by the American Diabetes Association to determine your risk for developing diabetes.