You have probably heard that diabetes is one of the pre-existing conditions that makes COVID-19 so dangerous for some people. If you have diabetes, be sure to follow the recommendations from health professionals – wear a mask, wash your hands often, social distance by at least six feet and avoid gatherings of 10 or more people when possible. If you do not have diabetes, but have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, all of the above are still important; and it’s more important than ever to take steps to avoid crossing that threshold into type 2 diabetes.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition, usually related to lifestyle, where blood sugar levels are higher than normal. They aren’t high enough yet to be type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three American adults have prediabetes – and more than 84% don’t know they have it! The bad news is, prediabetes puts you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The good news is lifestyle changes can prevent or delay serious health problems.
What’s causing this in the first place? If you have diabetes, the cells in your body don’t respond to insulin as they should. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows sugar into your cells to be used for energy. If your pancreas can’t keep up producing insulin, your blood sugar rises.
How do you know?
The fact is, so many people don’t know they have prediabetes because they might not have any clear symptoms. You can go for years before serious health problems, such as diabetes, show up. This is why it’s important to talk to your doctor about having your blood sugar tested if you have any of the following risk factors:
•Overweight;
•45 years or older;
•Close family members with type 2 diabetes;
•Sedentary lifestyle;
•Ever diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds;
•Diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome; or
•At risk race or ethnicity such as African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander and some Asian Americans.
What do you do?
“Take prediabetes seriously,” says Tammy Davis, Diabetes Educator with Med Center Health. “It is a state of increased health risk, but it’s also a window of opportunity to prevent or at least decrease risk for diabetes for many years to come. Screening and intervention is key. Intervention meaning education and lifestyle change.”
Fortunately, the best way to control prediabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes is the same healthy lifestyle doctors have urged their patients to follow for quite some time. Lose weight, exercise and follow a healthy diet. Avoid foods loaded with sugar and unhealthy fats, and include more whole grains, fruits and veggies in your diet.
Even a little bit of exercise can go a long way toward avoiding type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says just 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week is a good starting point and can make a big difference. If you’re overweight, losing 7-10% of your body weight will also lower the risk of developing diabetes in most people.
Where can you learn more?
Med Center Health’s Health & Wellness offers a class that can help you understand prediabetes and give you the tools you need to lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The class is free and helps people with prediabetes learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. The next class will be offered on December 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Just in time for a little bit of extra help during the holidays! Preregister by calling 270-745-0942. You can also learn more about diabetes care by visiting medcenterhealth.org.
-submitted by Med Center Health
