Thu Feb 2nd, 2017
Staff report
Categories: Health
Tags: diabetes, high blood glucose, insulin, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not as high as it is in diabetes. About one third of Americans have prediabetes, but most of these people don’t know they have it.
When we eat, carbohydrates like bread, pasta, and sweets are turned into glucose during digestion. Then the pancreas, an organ which sits just below the stomach, makes insulin, which helps the glucose to be used by our muscles, fat and liver. High body weight and not enough exercise can lead to insulin resistance. That is when muscle, fat and liver cells no longer respond properly to insulin, and the pancreas has to make more insulin to do the job. Over time, the pancreas loses its ability to keep up, leading to high blood glucose (sugar), prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Why should I care about prediabetes?
Having prediabetes increases your risk for developing diabetes. It also puts you at risk for heart attacks, and strokes. Other things that put you at risk for developing diabetes are:
What can I do about it?
While some of these risk factors are out of your control, studies show that you can ward off diabetes, even if you already have prediabetes. Here are 4 things you can do.