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.
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.
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.