Understanding Prediabetes, Diabetes, and How to Take Control
Diabetes is a complex chronic disease, but its path often begins with a serious, yet often overlooked, condition called prediabetes. Understanding what these conditions are and how to prevent them is the first step toward a healthier future.
What is Prediabetes? Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Don't let the "pre" fool you, it is a serious health warning. Prediabetes significantly increases your risk for: developing full-blown type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The Hidden Risk: You can have prediabetes for years and not know it because it often has no noticeable symptoms. This is why it’s crucial to talk to your doctor about testing if you have any risk factors, such as: being overweight, being 45 years or older, having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes, being physically active less than 3 times a week, having had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds.
What Does Diabetes Entail? If prediabetes is ignored, it can progress to type 2 diabetes. Diabetes affects every major organ in the body by impacting how your body turns food into energy. Living with diabetes is much harder than living with prediabetes, as the risk of serious health problems increases greatly. These major complications can include kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage (which can lead to the surgical removal of a toe, foot, or leg), a doubled risk of depression, which increases as health problems develop. These complications can sharply reduce a person's quality of life.
The good news is that prediabetes act as a fork in the road—and you can choose the healthier path. For many, type 2 diabetes is preventable or can be delayed through lasting lifestyle changes. The key prevention steps are straightforward and achievable:
Modest Weight Loss: Aim to lose just 5% to 7% of your body weight. For a 200-pound person, this is only 10 to 14 pounds. Regular Physical Activity: Get at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity. That breaks down to just 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
These changes can stop or significantly slow the development of type 2 diabetes. Programs like the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) can provide guidance, a trained coach, and support to help you make these changes, manage stress, and stay motivated. If you have prediabetes, the best time to act is now. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how you can take steps to prevent type 2 diabetes. There are also many programs in our community that can help you get out and active in cost effective ways. Check out the events by Jackson In Action to get started. Find us at www.jacksoninaction.org.
Jackson County: Healthy People, Strong Community.
Source:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention-type-2/truth-about-prediabetes.html