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Pre-Diabetes
Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they
almost always have "pre-diabetes" -- blood glucose levels that are
higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
At least 20.1 million people in the United States
(21.1% of the population), ages 40 to 74, have pre-diabetes. Recent
research
has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart
and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes.
Research has also shown that if you take
action to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can
delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing. Together with the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the
American Diabetes Association published a Position Statement on "The
Prevention or Delay of Type 2 Diabetes" to help guide health care
professionals in treating their patients with pre-diabetes.
There is a lot you can do yourself to know
your risks for pre-diabetes and to take action to prevent diabetes if
you have, or are at risk for, pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes
Association has a wealth of resources for people with diabetes. People
with pre-diabetes can expect to benefit from much of the same advice for
good nutrition and physical activity.
How to Prevent Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a serious medical condition
that can be treated. The good news is that the recently completed
Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people with
pre-diabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making
changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity.
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