Pre-Diabetes
What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is a condition that is estimated to be affecting 79 million
people (that is in addition to the almost 26 million people with diabetes).
While the name is new, the condition certainly is not. Pre-diabetes used
to be called impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose. By
definition, pre-diabetes is a condition where one has fasting blood sugar levels
above normal (blood sugar between 100-125 mg/dl) but the blood sugar levels are
not high enough to diagnose diabetes (fasting blood sugar above 126 mg/dl).
What are the risk factors for pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes or diabetes risk increases with the following factors:
- family history of diabetes,
- ethnicity of Hispanic/Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Native
American, or African American,
- overweight or obese,
- high blood pressure,
- low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides,
- history of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or gave birth
to a baby weighing more than 9 lbs.
What should I do if I'm at risk for pre-diabetes?
If you are at risk, get your blood sugar tested. If your doctor has
diagnosed you with pre-diabetes or mentioned impaired glucose tolerance to you,
take action to prevent or delay onset of diabetes.
What if I have pre-diabetes?
Those with pre-diabetes are more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes
in the future but there are preventative measures. Following a diet low in
fat and a reduction in calories, physical exercise, and weight loss if
overweight can help prevent or delay diabetes. These preventative measures
can "turn back the clock" and return elevated blood sugars to normal
levels.
Can I reduce my risk for diabetes if I have pre-diabetes?
The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has recently found
that those with Pre-Diabetes can make simple lifestyle changes to reduce risk
for diabetes later in life. The DPP found that subjects with Pre-Diabetes
experienced a 58% reduction of risk for Type 2 diabetes when they:
- lost a modest amount of weight (5-7% of their body weight),
- exercised at moderate intensity for an average of 30 minutes a day, five days per week (most chose to walk for exercise), and
- lowered their intake of fat and calories.
Those following the lifestyle changes were able to reduce their risk even
more so than those taking medications to lower blood sugar. These
preventative measures can "turn back the clock" and return elevated
blood sugar to normal levels.
Christine Carlson, MS, RD, BC-ADM, CDE
GlucoMenu® Nutrition Director
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My sugar levels are down & I've lost about 40 pounds so far
