If you’ve just been diagnosed with prediabetes, you may have questions about whether this is a permanent diagnosis or what this means for your long-term health. It might surprise you to learn that over 100 million Americans are living with some form of diabetes or prediabetes, which roughly translates to almost ten percent of our population. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), one in three adults in Arizona have prediabetes and one in 10 Arizonans have diabetes.
Without intervention, ADHS states that prediabetes is likely to transition to type 2 diabetes within five years. In this article, we’ll break down exactly what prediabetes is and which steps you can take to prevent it from progressing to type 2 diabetes. However, this information should not be taken as medical advice and if you think you may have prediabetes, or have already received a diagnosis, you should consult with your doctor.
What is prediabetes?
Before someone develops type 2 diabetes, they most likely have had prediabetes, which the American Diabetes Association defines as when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. The difference between prediabetes and type 2 diabetes is that prediabetes can be reversible and typically shows little to no symptoms. That means you can only really be diagnosed with prediabetes through designated tests.
You may have also heard about type 1 diabetes, though there’s no relation between that and prediabetes. Type 1 diabetes is something that you typically develop during childhood or early adolescence, and is considered an autoimmune condition rather than something that is influenced by lifestyle or other medical conditions. However, type 2 diabetes is by far the most common form of diabetes in adults, accounting for over 95 percent of adult cases in the US.
You can learn more about pre-diabetes and how to reverse the condition through the Sun Health Wellness Diabetes Prevention Program which uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-approved curriculum led by a trained lifestyle coach. During the program, you will learn how to incorporate healthy eating habits without giving up your favorite foods, healthier ways to deal with stress, how to cope with challenges that can derail your efforts and ways to increase your physical activity.
Am I at risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes?
According to the CDC, certain risk factors may increase your risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes such as being overweight, being 45 years of age or older, having a parent or sibling with diabetes and being physically active fewer than three times per week.
How is prediabetes diagnosed?
Doctors diagnose prediabetes in the same way they diagnose type 2 diabetes – primarily through blood tests. There are two primary tests you may have heard during your health evaluation that are used to diagnose prediabetes:
- A1C test, also known as glycated hemoglobin test – this test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months
- Fasting blood sugar test – this is a blood sample that provides a snapshot of your glucose level, taken after you’ve fasted overnight for at least eight hours
These tests each have specific values that indicate normal glucose level, prediabetes or diabetes. Be sure to ask your doctor if you have any questions about your specific test results.
Ways to take action
Reliable sources like the American Diabetes Association and the CDC agree that there are some general steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and that it is possible to reverse prediabetes. Here are some steps experts recommend you take after getting diagnosed with prediabetes.
1. Lose weight
If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, the American Diabetes Association states that you can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent by losing seven percent of your body weight. If you are over 65, the reduction in risk is 71 percent. That means if you weigh 200 pounds, you should aim to lose about fifteen pounds. A healthy weight loss is typically considered to be about one pound a week. You can also request an appointment with the Sun Health Wellness team to assist with weight management, through our multi-faceted approach that focuses on learning new habits, while providing the proper education and tools needed for long-term success.
2. Increase your daily exercise
Many people incorporate new exercise regimens into their plans to treat their prediabetes. The Mayo Clinic states that becoming more active is one of the best things you can do to make diabetes less likely, since it can lower blood glucose levels and reduce body fat. If you haven’t exercised in a while, try to ease in to it by starting with simple things like stretching, walking or taking a flight or two of stairs rather than the elevator. Consulting with your doctor is recommended before you begin exercising, especially if you’ve been sedentary for some time. Your doctor can let you know whether you have any medical restrictions and may make recommendations for exercises that will work best with your body. Most doctors recommend trying to get at least thirty minutes of exercise in per day, five days a week.
3. Make changes to your diet
Making changes to your diet goes hand-in-hand with losing weight, but your diet can also influence how much glucose your body absorbs and may impact your level of insulin resistance. Some doctors and dietitians recommend the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet to reduce or reverse signs of prediabetes.
If you need extra help making a diet change, Sun Health Wellness offers individual nutrition consultations provided by registered dietitians who are also certified diabetes educators.
4. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep in a night directly relates to the ease at which your body can lose fat. Having a deficit in sleep can also make it harder for your body to use insulin effectively, putting you at an even higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Most experts recommend that older adults get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
5. Talk to your doctor about how to best manage your prediabetes
Make sure you check in with your doctor every three to four months, or as often as they recommend. Since prediabetes has no symptoms and can be difficult to assess without blood tests, getting regular monitoring will help you to determine whether your plans are working or not.
Enroll in the Diabetes Prevention Program with Sun Health
To keep your weight in a healthy range and control your prediabetes, remember to try to make permanent changes to your daily exercise and eating routines in addition to the rest of these tips. In addition, some people benefit from the support and education of those who know exactly what you’re going through. Sun Health Wellness offers classes and nutritional consultations for those with a prediabetes or diabetes diagnosis, as well as fitness classes and educational opportunities on many different health topics. View our class offerings today to learn more about how we are championing improved health and wellbeing in our community.
