"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Many people miss the pre-diabetes wake-up call.

Type 2 diabetes often doesn't appear suddenly. Many people have a protracted, slow, invisible lead called prediabetes. During this time, the blood sugar level is higher than normal. However, they will not be high enough to cause symptoms or be classified as diabetes. At this stage it continues to be possible to stop the slide from turning into full-blown diabetes. Consider pre-diabetes a wake-up call.

Unfortunately, only a few people hear the alarm. A brand new one A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention It shows that amongst Americans age 20 and older, only 10 percent of people that have already got diabetes know they've it. Given that as many as 73 million Americans have prediabetes.this misses many opportunities to stop the ravages of diabetes.

One reason many individuals don't know they're on the approach to diabetes is because they never get their blood sugar tested. This easy test will not be a part of routine preventive care. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends blood sugar “screening” only in individuals with hypertension. (Screening means in search of hidden disease within the absence of any visible signs or symptoms.) This is significant, because recommendations from the Task Force, an independent panel of experts, and plenty of health care organizations recommend preventive care. used to find out In addition, the duty force's recommendations will help determine which services are covered under the Affordable Care Act.

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The American Diabetes Association and other organizations recommend routine blood sugar testing in people at high risk of developing diabetes. These include:

  • Anyone above 45 years of age
  • Young people who find themselves chubby and have considered one of the next risk aspects for diabetes:
    • Little or no physical activity
    • Family history of diabetes
    • High blood pressure or high cholesterol
    • A previous diagnosis of heart disease or polycystic ovary syndrome
    • Having diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or having a baby weighing greater than nine kilos

Some experts The US Preventive Services Task Force is encouraging it to expand its recommendations on blood sugar screening.

Why hassle?

Not everyone with prediabetes will develop diabetes. In the short term (three to 5 years), about 25% of individuals with prediabetes develop full-blown diabetes. The percentage is significantly larger over the long run.

Getting a pre-diabetes wake-up call might be very helpful. A 3-part strategy can prevent many individuals from developing diabetes. This strategy includes modest weight reduction, increased physical activity, akin to walking half-hour a day, and healthy food decisions. In addition to helping prevent diabetes, these lifestyle changes may also help protect against heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis and other chronic conditions.

Those efforts are price it, because diabetes can damage all the body. Excess glucose (blood sugar) can change the behavior of blood vessels, increasing the chance of heart attack, stroke or other types of heart problems. Diabetes-related damage to small blood vessels can result in blindness, kidney disease, and fainting. It is a number one reason behind difficult-to-treat infections and amputations within the United States.

Providing more individuals with a wake-up call that diabetes could also be on the rise, and heeding that decision, may also help fight the diabetes epidemic.