Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing health conditions in America. CDC data indicates that roughly 34 million people are living with it. Further, another 88 million have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are high enough to likely progress to diabetes.
Add those two groups together, and you’re looking at about 45 percent of the United States’ population. The majority (about 90-95 percent) have type-2 diabetes.
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A new study may offer a glimmer of hope, showing how to reduce the risk for this potentially deadly condition.
According to new work published in the Journal of European Preventative Cardiology, the best way to stop it might be good cardiovascular health.
The study found that good cardiovascular health was an essential factor in preventing type-2 diabetes or lowering the risk, even more so than genetic components.
Results showed that people are simply less likely to develop type-2 diabetes when they have a healthy heart.
Which makes sense. Many factors that contribute to heart trouble can also contribute to diabetes, including diet, weight, and activity levels.
For example, people with high sugar diets (the main cause of type-2 diabetes) are more likely to have higher body fat percentages, arterial plaque, high blood pressure, inflammation, and other risk factors that contribute to heart disease.
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Therefore, getting a handle on heart disease risk factors may help keep you away from diabetes’ grip.
The combination to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes is relatively simple in theory, but like many things, harder to execute. Lifestyle changes are required, and they can be rather challenging.
The best approach is to take one step at a time and aim for incremental improvements. Start to move more or eat less processed foods. Every week, replace a harmful habit with a beneficial one. Over time, your risks for these conditions are likely to go down.
About eight years ago, Mat Lecompte had an epiphany. He’d been ignoring his health and suddenly realized he needed to do something about it. Since then, through hard work, determination and plenty of education, he has transformed his life. He’s changed his body composition by learning the ins and outs of nutrition, exercise, and fitness and wants to share his knowledge with you. Starting as a journalist over 10 years ago, Mat has not only honed his belief system and approach with practical experience, but he has also worked closely with nutritionists, dieticians, athletes, and fitness professionals. He embraces natural healing methods and believes that diet, exercise and willpower are the foundation of a healthy, happy, and drug-free existence.
