Diabetes is the most common cause of blindness, kidney failure, and
amputations in adults and a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
The researchers say that about 26 percent of adults age 20 and older
continued to have impaired fasting glucose (IFG). This is a form of
pre-diabetes. If the IFG levels are high but yet there is still no
diagnosis of diabetes, there is still an increased risk of heart disease
as well as the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
There are some things you can do if your glucose levels are high but you
are still not diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Larry Blonde of the
National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) says “It’s important to know
if you have pre-diabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. You should talk
to your health care professional about your risk. If your blood glucose
is high but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes, losing weight
and increasing physical activity will greatly lower your risk of getting
type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, controlling your blood glucose,
blood pressure, and cholesterol will prevent or delay the complications
of diabetes.”
The report went on to say that nearly 22 percent of people age 65 and
older had diabetes and nearly 40 percent had IFG. They broke the
percentages down and about 13 percent of non-Hispanic blacks age 20 and
older had diabetes. Also about 8 percent of Mexican Americans age 20
and older had diabetes. The researchers informed us that since the
average age of Mexican Americans are younger than for other groups, the
age-and sex-adjusted prevalence of diabetes in Mexican Americans is
twice that of non-Hispanic whites and about equal to that of
non-Hispanic blacks.
Men were more likely to have undiagnosed diabetes and IFG. The
researchers also warn that pre-diabetes usually causes no symptoms. In
IFG, blood glucose is high (100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL)
after an overnight fast but not high enough to be diagnostic of
diabetes. In impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), blood glucose is high
(140 to 199 mg/dL) 2 hours after drinking a sugary drink in an oral
glucose tolerance test but not high enough to be diagnostic of diabetes.
The researchers suggest modest exercise to stave off diabetes. They say
the risk can be lowered if you lose a modest amount of weight by cutting
calories in their diet and increasing physical activity (for example,
walking 30 minutes a day 5 days a week). A major study of people with
IGT has shown that lifestyle changes leading to a 5 to 7 percent weight
loss lowered diabetes onset by 58 percent.
If you are over age 45, you should consult your health care provider
about testing for pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you are younger than 45,
overweight, and have another risk factor, you should ask about testing.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books
on Diabetes
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