Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Approximately 88 million American adults—1 in 3—have prediabetes. What’s more, more than 84% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it.

DON’T LET THE “PRE” FOOL YOU

prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

If you have prediabetes, the long-term damage of diabetes — especially to your heart, blood vessels and kidneys — may already be starting. There's good news, however. Progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes isn't inevitable.

According to the mayoclinic.org, prediabetes doesn't usually have any signs or symptoms.

One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles.

Classic signs and symptoms that suggest you've moved from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes include:

• Increased thirst

• Frequent urination

• Excess hunger

• Fatigue

• Blurred vision

RISK FACTORS

You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems show up. That’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, which include:

• 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

• Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds

Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk.

CAUSES

According to the CDC, the exact cause of prediabetes is unknown. But family history and genetics appear to play an important role. A lack of regular physical activity and being overweight with excess fat around your abdomen also seem to be important factors.

What is clear is that people with prediabetes don't process sugar (glucose) properly anymore. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood instead of doing its normal job of giving energy to the cells that make up muscles and other tissues.

Most of the glucose in your body comes from the food you eat. When food is digested, sugar enters your bloodstream. Moving sugar from your bloodstream to your body's cells requires a hormone called insulin.

Insulin comes from a gland located behind the stomach called the pancreas. Your pancreas sends insulin to your blood when you eat.

As insulin circulates, it allows sugar to enter your cells — and lowers the amount of sugar in your blood. When your blood sugar level starts to drop, the pancreas slows down the secretion of insulin into the blood.

When you have prediabetes, this process doesn't work as well. Your pancreas may not make enough insulin or cells become resistant to insulin and don't allow as much sugar in. So, instead of fueling your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.

COMPLICATIONS

The most serious consequence of prediabetes is progression to type 2 diabetes. That's because type 2 diabetes can lead to:

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Kidney disease

• Nerve damage

• Vision problems, possibly loss of vision

• Amputations

Prediabetes has been linked with unrecognized (silent) heart attacks and can damage your kidneys, even if you haven't progressed to type 2 diabetes.

PREVENTION

Healthy lifestyle choices can help you prevent prediabetes and its progression to type 2 diabetes — even if diabetes runs in your family. Try to:

• Eat healthy foods Schedule a call with me and we can take that baby step together!

• Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity a week, or about 30 minutes on most days of the week

• Lose excess weight

• Control your blood pressure and cholesterol

• Don't smoke

The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now.

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