Prediabetes, What You Need to KnowFebruary 11, 2012
Diabetes is something that is making headlines recently and for good reason, as high blood glucose levels can cause permanent damage to heart, eye, kidney, nerve and other tissue - all risks with type 2 diabetes.
SupermarketGuru wants to point out the condition that could lead to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, if not controlled through diet and lifestyle changes. Prediabetes is when blood glucose (sugar) levels are consistently higher than what is considered normal, but not elevated enough to qualify as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can have its own health consequences.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that a staggering 79 million Americans over the age of 20 have prediabetes. According to experts, prediabetes can double the risk for cardiovascular disease. A combination of excess body fat, a sedentary lifestyle, and family history all factor into prediabetes. While family history is a risk factor, changing you diet and lifestyle can make a world of a difference in your physiology.
Accoriding to Domenica Rubino, MD (via USA Today), a diabetes expert who practices at the Washington Center for Weight Management & Research in Arlington, Va. it's important to get your glucose tested on a regular basis, and there are two simple tests: "fasting blood glucose, which offers a 'snapshot' of the glucose in your blood after going without food for about 8-9 hours, and A1C, which provides an average amount of glucose in the blood over the past three to four months." Prediabetes is typically symptom-free, but some may feel tired regularly.
Some people with prediabetes have a normal fasting glucose level. Knowing your A1C provides a more accurate picture.
Fasting blood glucose: Normal: below 100 mg/dL after an overnight fast and before eating. Prediabetic: 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
A1C: Normal: 5.6% or below. Prediabetic: 5.7% to 6.4%
Ask for the exact numbers from your blood test, so you can be clear just where you stand.
Posted by Ken at 12:00 AM