The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges individuals to check their risk for diabetes as 86 million Americans are prediabetic knowing your risks and reducing them can spare you a diagnosis of prediabetes.
Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes – both are preventable through lifestyle changes but if not prevented can increase the risk of stroke and heart attack.
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David Marrero, director of the Diabetes Translation Research Center at Indiana University School of Medicine said in a CDC news release, “Awareness is crucial in the effort to stop type 2 diabetes.”
Determining you risk is easy as it’s as simply as visiting DoIHavePrediabetes.org.
“This is a very simple and quick tool that will allow people to see if they are at risk for prediabetes or diabetes. If they are at higher risk, this will hopefully prompt them to seek medical attention sooner,” added Dr. Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic.
Untreated prediabetes will progress to type 2 diabetes in about 30 percent of people as many individuals with prediabetes are not even aware of it.
Vouyiouklis Kellis added, “Losing 5 to 7 percent of body weight can significantly reduce your risk as well as making lifestyle changes, which include portion control, reducing foods with refined sugars and exercising regularly. Exercising just 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can also help reduce this risk.”
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The CDC teamed up with the American Diabetes Association to launch a campaign to inform people about prediabetes as well as make them aware of their own risks.
Dr. Andrew Gurman added to the CDC news release, “As soon as someone discovers they may be at risk of prediabetes, they should talk with their physician about further testing to confirm their diagnosis and discuss the necessary lifestyle changes needed to help prevent type 2 diabetes.”
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
