The Truth About Prediabetes: A Warning You Can Act On

More than 2 in 5 U.S. adults have prediabetes, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Don't let the "pre" fool you: it is a serious condition. Blood sugar is higher than normal, though not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis, and the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke goes up. The good news is that lifestyle changes can stop or slow the slide into diabetes.

It often goes unnoticed

Prediabetes can last for years with no symptoms, so most people don't learn they have it until serious problems appear. Ask your doctor about a blood sugar test if any of these apply:

• you have overweight;
• you are 45 or older;
• a parent, brother or sister has type 2 diabetes;
• you are physically active less than 3 times a week;
• you have ever had gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy);
• you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.

Race and ethnicity matter too: African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander and some Asian American people are at higher risk.

Why diabetes is worth avoiding

Prediabetes already raises the risk of heart disease and stroke; diabetes raises it further. Diabetes affects every major organ, and people with it often develop serious complications such as kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage, which can lead to amputation of a toe, foot or leg. It can also double the risk of depression, which grows as more diabetes-related problems develop. Together they can sharply reduce quality of life.

A fork in the road

Ignore prediabetes and the risk of type 2 diabetes climbs. Act, and it falls:

• Lose a modest amount of weight: 5% to 7% of body weight, just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
• Get regular physical activity: at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or something like it, which is 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Help to do it

The CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) helps people prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Participants work with a trained coach to make lasting changes, learn to eat well and fit more activity into the day, manage stress and stay motivated, and solve the problems that slow progress. If you have prediabetes, ask your health care provider about its lifestyle change programme. The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes." https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention-type-2/truth-about-prediabetes.html
• The original's stock photograph is not reproduced here.