What Are The Ways Of Preventing Diabetes?

You can prevent or, in some cases, delay the onset of diabetes by taking charge before it advances from what is known as the pre-diabetic stage to being a full-blown illness. Pre-diabetes refers to the stage where you have higher-than-normal blood glucose, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Pre-diabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes if nothing is done to reverse the condition. However, a recent study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, indicates that persons with pre-diabetes can stop type 2 diabetes from developing by increasing their physical activity and changing their eating habits.

People with a risk of developing pre-diabetes are in the same category as those for type 2 diabetes. These categories include people whose genetic background predisposes them to the illness: African Americans and others of African descent, Native Americans, Latinos and people of Asian descent. Age also plays a role in who will eventually develop either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Your physical health and weight factor into those risk levels as well.

Doctors can tell if you are pre-diabetic by performing two standard tests, namely the fasting test (FPG - Fasting Plasma Glucose) and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). The results of these tests will confirm whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or if you are diabetes-free.

The FPG test is normally done in the morning, and the patient is advised not to eat anything after 10 PM the previous night. A higher-than-normal reading for the FPG is an indication that you have been insulin resistant for a while.

OGTT, the glucose tolerance test, is used to measure your blood glucose level after an overnight fast, but unlike the FPG, you are also given a glucose drink two hours after the test. Your blood glucose levels are then checked two hours later; if the range is between 140 and 199 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), you will be considered pre-diabetic. These levels are also an indication that you may develop type 2 diabetes later on. 

If you are tested positively as having pre-diabetes, it is important to take annual tests so that you catch developed diabetes in its early stages. Early diagnosis is the easiest way to get the disease under control before too much damage has been done to vital organs.

Consistent diet and exercise can restore blood sugar levels to normal ranges. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends just thirty minutes per day of exercise, in addition to losing weight to help prevent the development of diabetes. Preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes is your responsibility; make the lifestyle changes necessary to improve your health today.

To learn more go to Diabetes Control and at Juvenile Diabetes