There’s no time like the present to prevent prediabetes
DID YOU KNOW that November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and that Monday, November 14 is World Diabetes Day? Wearing the color blue on World Diabetes Day will signify your support for the millions of people worldwide who have been diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
However, since I’m of the firm belief that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I’d like to dedicate this month’s installment of Eating Well to the health condition known as prediabetes. For those unfamiliar with the term, prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
Approximately 96 million American adults—more than one in three—have prediabetes, and of those who have the condition, more than 80 percent aren’t even aware of it. This lack of awareness is concerning because prediabetes puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. The good news is, if you have prediabetes, it can be reversed, thereby preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes and other serious health conditions.
Prediabetes occurs when the cells in your body stop responding normally to insulin—a hormone produced by the pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells to be used for energy. When the cells fail to respond to insulin, the pancreas keeps making more. Eventually the pancreas can’t keep up and blood sugar rises, setting the stage for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes down the road.
The signs and symptoms of prediabetes are easy to sum up—there aren’t any. You won’t have the classic signs that suggest you’ve moved on to type 2 diabetes, such as increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, frequent infections, slow healing, and unintended weight loss. In fact, you can have prediabetes for years with no clear symptoms, which is why it so often goes undetected until type 2 diabetes or other serious health problems show up.
Because prediabetes is a “silent” condition, it’s important to have your blood sugar checked routinely, especially if you have the following risk factors:
• Being overweight
• Being over 45 years old
• Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
• Being inactive
• Having a history of gestational diabetes or a baby over nine pounds
• Having polycystic ovary syndrome
• Race and ethnicity are also a factor. African-Americans, Hispanic/Latino-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian-Americans are at higher risk. A simple blood sugar test can determine whether you have prediabetes, so ask your physician to be tested.
If you find out you do have prediabetes or, better yet, you find out you don’t have it and would like to keep it that way, some simple lifestyle changes will help you achieve your goal. One is to shed some extra pounds if you’re overweight. Lowering your body weight by just five to ten percent can show beneficial results. Another is to add more physical activity to your day and to get routine exercise at least three times a week. Of course, you should also strive to eat healthy, avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and saturated fat. If stress is an issue for you, take some time for yourself and find ways to manage it. Last but not least, look for a CDC-recognized National Diabetes Prevention Program offered in your community.
The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now. This is a disease of lifestyle and can be reversed. Family history and genetics do play a role, so find out your family medical history. And again, be sure to visit your physician and have your blood sugar checked at least once a year.
Laurie Syring, RDN/LD, is Clinical Nutrition Manager at ProMedica Flower Hospital. ✲
