Preventing Pre-Diabetes - and Prevent Pre-Diabetes From Advancing to Diabetes

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson called diabetes an epidemic in this country. A precursor to type 2 diabetes is a condition know as pre-diabetes. Many many millions of Americans suffer from it and many dont even know they have disease.

They also dont know that with a little effort a great many of those diagnosed with pre-diabetes can halt the progression to type 2 diabetes and some may even return their blood sugars to normal.

Pre-diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way the body metabolizes sugar, your bodys main source of fuel. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Health & Human Services estimates that about 40 percent of U.S. adults ages 40 to 74 currently have the condition. Add to that total the number of adolescents and the numbers are bleak.

Pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2 are being called a health epidemic for our country. Consider that without intervention, one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime. If that child is Hispanic and female, she has a one in two chance of developing diabetes in her lifetime. That equates to roughly one new case of diabetes being diagnosed every 25 seconds. This can be prevented with education to high risk groups and some very simple steps.

And the cost of pre-diabetes and diabetes to the U.S. is $132 billion per year. Direct medical costs account for $92 billion per year and the rest is made up of disability, lost work time and premature mortality. Diabetes contributed to 213,062 deaths in the year 2000. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about 2 times that of people without diabetes. Additionally people who have pre-diabetes have a 50 percent higher risk for heart disease or stroke. You can see the dangers and costs associated with it. It is a formidable challenge.

Many people dont know they have pre-diabetes but may be at risk. If you're overweight and more than 45 years old you may be at risk, check with your physician for testing. If you're overweight but younger than 45 years old and have HBP (high blood pressure), high triglycerides levels or are of African-American, Hispanic, Latino, Native American or Pacific Island descent, you are urged to check with your physician.

The testing for pre-diabetes has become more sophisticated in recent years. But with more accurate testing, however, comes bad news. Studies done from 1999 through 2002 suggest that at least 54 million American adults had pre-diabetes in 2002. And this does not exclude children as 2 million adolescents aged 12-19 or 1 in 6 overweight adolescents aged 12-19 are estimated to have pre-diabetes Knowing the risk factors for pre-diabetes and the very simple steps to avoid it can save lives, save money and improve the quality of life for those affected. From above you may have guessed already a single devastating risk factor. In a word it is obesity.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above and accounts for nearly 300,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Obesity is associated with more chronic health problems than smoking, heavy drinking or being poor. And recognizing it as a risk factor for pre-diabetes can help you avoid the disease.

Losing weight, becoming physically active and eating a healthy diet, may be enough to forestall pre-diabetes from developing into diabetes. Research has shown that losing 5 to 7 percent of body weight (about 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person) through diet and increased physical activity can prevent or delay pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes. And in some this regime can even return their blood glucose levels to normal.

Also recommended is eating modest portions of food throughout the day-rather than one or two larger meals. This also helps to control blood sugar levels. Eating small meals and snacks also provides more opportunities to eat healthy foods with beneficial nutrients. Stay away from fad diets and dont eliminate food groups. Try to skip empty calories like sodas and avoid fried and fatty foods. +

Pre-diabetes is a chronic condition that can go undetected unless you have your blood sugar tested. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle-eating a nutritious diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight or losing excess pounds-you can avoid the disease and the toll it can take on your body.

This alone may save you and many more Americans from pre-diabetes which may progress to type 2 diabetes and all the complications associated with that disease. Some prevention now may save you from a lifetime of insulin and the devastating effects of diabetes.

I have been a nurse for over 30 years. And as a baby boomer, I am concerned about the state of health care in the U.S. My step-son and daughters will be asked to change the system that will provide care for my care when I become Medicare eligible. And prevention is the most cost effective way hold down health care costs.

For more information on chronic diseases and health care please visit Health Resources Health Resources provides timely information and tips on a variety of health care issues. Health Resources focuses primarily on prevention as a means to lower health care costs. Visit Health Resources today.

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