Prediabetes is an opportunity to prevent Type 2 Diabetes
As we are in the holiday season, overeating and sweets are common offenses. Couple that with the weight we have gained during COVID, and it may spell diabetes for some of us. The good news is that regular check ups can alert you to prediabetes and give you the chance to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Prediabetes is just what it sounds like. It means that your blood sugar is pretty high, but not high enough to meet the threshold of type 2 diabetes. If there are no lifestyle or dietary changes, prediabetes is very likely to become type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes is a fairly “invisible” disease. In fact, 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. If you have risk factors for prediabetes, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about getting your blood glucose tested. Prediabetes most often occurs in people who:
- Are overweight
- Are 45 years or older
- Have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Are physically active less than three times a week
- Have a history of gestational diabetes—diabetes during pregnancy, or have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Have polycystic ovary syndrome
- Are African American, Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian, or Pacific Islander
If you have prediabetes, then the long-term damage to your organs and blood vessels could have already started. There is some good news, though. It’s not inevitable that prediabetes will turn into type 2 diabetes. Eating the right foods, staying physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight can help dial down your blood sugar. Prediabetes can affect both children and adults. If you think you have prediabetes, talk to your doctor, and make sure you don’t actually have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can take a hold of you before you know what hit you.
How is Prediabetes Diagnosed?
Your doctor will use one or more of the following blood test to determine if you have prediabetes:
- A1C Test measures your average blood glucose level over the past 2 or 3 months. A person with prediabetes will have an A1C measurement between 7 and 6.4 percent.
- Fasting Blood Sugar Test are done after an eight to 12 hour period of going without food. People whose measurements fall between 100 and 126 milligrams/deciliter (mg/dL) are considered to have prediabetes.
- Glucose Tolerance Test measures your blood glucose up to five times in a three hour period. First, a fasting blood glucose test is done. Then, you drink a sweet liquid and have your blood glucose level measured at 30 minutes, one hour, two hours, and possibly three hours afterward. At 2 hours, a person with prediabetes will have a glucose measurement between 140 and 199 mg/dL.
The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) has been proven to help people make the lifestyle changes needed to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Through the program, participants:
- Work with a trained coach to make lasting lifestyle changes.
- Discover how to eat healthy and add more physical activity into their day.
- Find out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow progress.
If you’re told you have prediabetes, ask your doctor or nurse if there is a National DPP lifestyle change program offered in your community. The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now.
Remember, if you are diagnosed with prediabetes, losing 5% to 7% of your body weight—just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person, fit in at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity you can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If your doctor tells you to have prediabetes, make sure you make the changes to your health now before it gets any worse.
