Current estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that nearly 80 million Americans have prediabetes, as indicated by a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL. According to the American Diabetes Association, up to 70% of those will at some point see their condition progress to type 2 diabetes. However, research recently published in The Lancet found that people with prediabetes who got their glucose levels back to normal, even briefly, were 56% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Weight loss and intensive lifestyle changes were among the factors related to reductions in blood glucose levels. The study participants who were able to lower their glucose levels back to normal attended more sessions regarding lifestyle sessions than did those who remained with prediabetes. This falls in line with previous findings, including research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2001. The members of the intervention group in that study, who all had prediabetes and received individual counseling for weight loss and diet changes, had a 58% reduction in their diabetes risk.
It is a good idea to be tested for Pre-diabetes if you are over 45 years of age and overweight, have high blood pressure, have low HDL and high triglycerides, have a family history of diabetes, have a history of gestational diabetes and/or if you belong to an ethnic group at high risk for diabetes (African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians and some Asian Americans). Those who have been diagnosed should focus on losing at least five to ten percent of their body weight through increased physical activity and intake of more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthyfats.
~Angie
It’s Your Health. It’s Your Life. Make That Change!
