Pre-diabetes: 84 million Americans have it

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is almost always present before a person develops Type 2 diabetes. It means that the blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be called diabetes. It is a health condition with no symptoms. Having pre-diabetes means you may get Type 2 diabetes soon or sometime down the road. You are also more likely to have problems with heart disease or have a stroke. The good news is you can take steps to delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes. Approximately 84 million Americans have pre-diabetes. That is more than every 1 in 3 individuals. Ninety percent of those people do not know they have it.

What causes pre-diabetes?

Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have pre-diabetes, the cells in your body don't respond normally to insulin. Your pancreas makes more insulin to try to get cells to respond. Eventually your pancreas can't keep up, and your blood sugar rises, setting the stage for pre-diabetes - and Type 2 diabetes down the road.

Signs and symptoms

Like mentioned before, pre-diabetes does not have any clear symptoms and can remain that way for years. That is why it is important to talk to your doctor about having a blood test done, especially if you have any of the following risk factors for pre-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 ovarian syndrome

Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African-Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian-Americans are at higher risk.

Preventing Type 2 diabetes

If you have pre-diabetes, losing a small amount of weight if you're overweight and getting regular physical activity can lower your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. A small amount of weight loss means around 5 percent to 7 percent of your body weight. Weight loss can be achieved through healthy meal planning (taking in fewer calories) and regular physical activity. Regular physical activity means getting at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or a similar activity.

If you want to learn more about pre-diabetes and get support from people with similar goals and challenges, the Diabetes Education Center at Henry County Health Center offers a free pre-diabetes class every other month. The dates for 2019 are: March 18, May 20, July 15, Sept. 16, and Nov. 18. It is from 12-1 in the Diabetes Education Center (Suite 25). Feel free to call Katie at the diabetes education center with any questions 319-385-6518.