Prediabetes: Your wake-up call to make lifestyle changes

If you have prediabetes, you’re among the 1 in 3 Americans who has it. The good news? Knowledge is power. You can reverse prediabetes to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by making healthy lifestyle changes now.

Prediabetes can be a warning sign – your body’s way of saying your blood sugar levels are too high. An estimated 98 million Americans have prediabetes. That means they have higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, but the levels are not yet high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. They often have other risk factors too, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

If you have prediabetes, you can lower your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58% if you lose 7% of your body weight (or 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds) and exercise moderately, says the American Diabetes Assocation. Moderate – not monumental -- lifestyle changes can return your blood sugar levels to a normal range.

How can I prevent type 2 diabetes?

There are many ways you can prevent type 2 diabetes, here are a few:

1. Eat healthy foods

A diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and olive oil is associated with a lower risk of prediabetes. You can also try to limit your intake of added sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated and trans fats. Reduce or eliminate the amount of alcohol you drink. Develop healthy eating patterns you can stick with long-term.

2. Lose weight

Losing 10-15 pounds can make a big difference, even if you don’t get to your ideal body weight. A Body Mass Index uses your height and weight to decide if you need to lose weight.

3. Be more physically active

Make physical activity part of your routine, such as a brisk walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

4. Reduce stress

Find ways to manage stress.

5. Manage high cholesterol and high blood pressure and get a diagnosis for treating a sleep disorder if you think you have one.

6. Stop smoking

Even small changes can have a huge impact on delaying or preventing diabetes altogether.

How do I know if I'm at risk?

Millions of American adults have prediabetes, and the majority don’t even know it.

• Know your A1C: Talk to your primary care provider to decide if an A1C test is right for you. An A1C test gives you a picture of your average blood glucose (blood sugar) over two or three months. This is done using a relatively simple blood test. If your A1C is 5.7-6.4%, you have prediabetes. The higher the levels, the greater your risk of developing diabetes complications.
• Fasting blood sugar test: Measures blood sugar after an overnight fast. A result of 100-125 mg/dL means prediabetes.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Measures blood sugar before and after drinking a glucose liquid. A result of 140-199 mg/dL means prediabetes.

Are there symptoms of prediabetes?

There are no clear symptoms of prediabetes. People with prediabetes may have some of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, such as:

• Urinating often
• Feeling thirsty
• Feeling very hungry
• Extreme fatigue
• Tingling, pain or numbness in the hands or feet
• Blurry vision
• Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal

Preventing type 2 diabetes can also lower your risk for serious complications that come with the disease, including blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and loss of toes, feet or legs.

What are the risk factors for prediabetes?

Anyone can develop prediabetes at any age, but you may be at higher risk if you:

• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes.
• Are over age of 45.
• Are overweight or obese.
• Had gestational diabetes (diabetes when pregnant).
• Have high blood pressure.
• Are Hispanic, Black, Asian American or Native American.

The first step is finding out if you are at risk. Talk to your primary care provider about your risks and take the MercyOne type 2 diabetes health risk assessment.

Take our diabetes risk assessment