What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is up, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes can do things to decrease their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. The National Diabetes Prevention Program helps prevent people from developing type 2 diabetes.
Risk Factors for Diabetes:
- Being overweight
- Being 45 years or older
- Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Being physically active less than 3 times a week
- Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
- Having polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder causing enlarged ovaries with small cysts on the outer edges.
Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk of developing diabetes.
If you have any of these risk factors, you are encouraged to visit with your doctor. A blood test may be ordered to test your A1C and glucose numbers. Type 2 diabetes is highly preventable.