Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
What is Pre-Diabetes?
People who are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes may have a condition known as pre-diabetes.
When you have pre-diabetes, your blood glucose is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diabetes.
The problem is that this condition puts you in danger of developing type 2 diabetes — a very serious disease that can have negative effects on your health. Most people who have pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
Pre-diabetes can have bad effects on your health as well.
For example, people with pre-diabetes have 1.5 times more risk of heart and blood vessel diseases, such as:
- high blood pressure
- stroke
- heart attack
The good news is, type 2 diabetes is a disease that can be prevented.
Testing for Pre-Diabetes
Ask your doctor about pre-diabetes testing. Your doctor will tell you if you should have a test.
Here are the test guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA):
Testing is strongly recommended if you are:
- over age 45 and overweight
You should consider testing if you are:
- over age 45
- under age 45 and overweight
- under age 45 and have one or more risk factors
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
When you have pre-diabetes and make small lifestyle changes, it is possible to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Making small changes to your diet and incorporating physical activity into your daily life can make a big difference.
You should always talk to your doctor before making changes to your diet or starting any physical activity routine.