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Preserving the Health of Our Culture. |
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HomeAre you at risk for prediabetes? Understanding portion sizes TGMC's wound care & hyperbaric unit Our award-winning imaging center A medical checklist for adults A reminder for caregivers TGMC heroes Emergency care |
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What you can do, how we can help Prediabetes — What's your risk? Did you know that nearly 16 million Americans have prediabetes? In fact, you may be among them — most people with prediabetes don't know they have it. That's why it's called a "silent" condition: Many people with prediabetes have no symptoms. However, you might experience:
What is prediabetes? Prediabetes is also known as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose. Put more simply, prediabetes means that your blood glucose levels are abnormally high, but not as high as someone with diabetes. "This condition is called prediabetes because most people with impaired glucose tolerance develop type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes within 10 years," says Cathy McCubbin, RN, a certified diabetes educator and program coordinator of the Diabetes Management Center at Terrebonne General Medical Center. "The danger of that is, diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States." Are you at risk? McCubbin suggests that everyone who is overweight and older than 45 be screened for prediabetes. If you are younger than 45 and have any of these risk factors, you may need to be screened earlier:
There's good and bad news about prediabetes. The bad news is sobering. If you have prediabetes, your chances of having a heart attack or stroke are increased by 50 percent. But the good news is heartening, says McCubbin. "By making some moderate lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy, low-fat, moderate-carbohydrate diet and exercising 30 minutes a day, five days a week, you can delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or prevent it altogether. In fact, many people who make these changes restore their blood glucose levels to normal." If you are diagnosed with prediabetes, ask your doctor for a referral to the Diabetes Management Center at Terrebonne General Medical Center. This outpatient facility is recognized by the American Diabetes Association and can assist you with diabetes treatment and self-management training. With the help of their nurses and dietitians, you can make the needed changes to delay or prevent the onset of diabetes. 
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