7 facts about prediabetes 1 About 1 in 3 U.S. adults has prediabetes. That’s millions of people—and many don’t realize they have it. 2 Prediabetes usually has no symptoms. You’ll need a blood test to know for sure. 3 Being diagnosed with prediabetes doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely develop type 2 diabetes, particularly if you change your lifestyle. 4 Prediabetes can be reversed by eating healthy foods, getting moderate exercise on a regular basis and taking your medication properly. 5 A healthy meal plan for people with prediabetes and diabetes includes plenty of non-starchy vegetables, limited added sugars, whole-grain foods instead of refined grains and whole foods instead of highly processed foods. 6 Sugary drinks have been linked to type 2 diabetes. A 12-ounce can of regular soda has the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. 7 Exercise makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. That lowers blood sugar levels and helps to reverse prediabetes. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Concerned about prediabetes or diabetes? Contact your health care provider. That way, you can make changes today to prevent or reverse this disease. Sources: American Diabetes Association; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you’re far from alone. Roughly 1 out of every 3 Americans—96 million of us—has prediabetes. This health condition is often silent, but it can pave the way for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other health complications. Prediabetes: The inside story With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes—yet. Carbohydrates in the food we eat get turned into glucose, or sugar, which is the main fuel for our cells. The pancreas—an organ near the stomach—produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose into our cells. With prediabetes, your pancreas still produces insulin, but your cells begin to stop responding to it. In turn, your pancreas may pump out extra insulin to try to keep up with the increased blood sugar demands. Over time, however, this strategy fizzles out. Your pancreas can’t keep up, and your blood sugar rises, hovering at a level that’s higher than normal. Fasting blood sugar levels between 100 and 125 mg/dL might signal prediabetes, but your medical provider should make that determination. Defeat prediabetes The good news? Having prediabetes is a chance to reverse course by making lifestyle changes. These three important steps may help prevent or delay prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes: 1 Tweak your diet. Eating a healthy diet can help you keep your blood sugar in check. The time is ripe to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fiber-rich whole grains, such as oatmeal and brown rice, and to limit sweets and sugary foods and beverages. 2 Guard against weight gain. If you’re overweight, shedding as little as 5% to 7% of your body weight—that’s just 10 to 14 pounds if your starting weight is 200 pounds, for example—can make a big difference in managing blood sugar. 3 Take action. Physical activity helps lower blood glucose. Try to exercise at least 150 minutes per week—that’s just 30 minutes per day, five times a week. You can raise your heart rate with brisk walking or something similar. Change can be challenging Work with your medical provider to create a prediabetes management plan that can help you make these healthy lifestyle changes stick. Contact your medical provider if your condition worsens. Sources: American Heart Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institutes of Health Understanding prediabetes
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