PREDIABETES DIAGNOSIS? WHAT TO DO

     Perhaps you have heard the term, prediabetes, or perhaps you have recently been diagnosed with this precurser to the full-blown disease of diabetes.  It's not surprising if you have heard the word since prediabetes affects about 57 million Americans.  In fact The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that forty percent of Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have prediabetes and almost two out of three Americans over the age of 65 have prediabetes or diabetes.

      Prediabetes happen when the body's cells no longer respond correctly to the hormone that regulates blood sugar, insulin. In prediabetes, blood sugar levels are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes but are higher than normal.  Unfortunately, many patients are not diagnosed until they are all ready diabetic.

     There are a number of danger warnings for prediabetes.  Being overweight with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher is perhaps the most well-known risk factor.  But about fifteen percent of people who are diagnosed with diabetes are not overweight.  And some people even lose weight with this complex disease. The biggest risk is for abdominal (visceral) fat which slows down the processing of insulin.  The biggest risk factor for women is a waistline of 35 inches or more or a man with a waistline of 40 inches or more.

    There are a large number of other symptoms that may indicate prediabetes or diabetes.  Among those are:  increased thirst and need to urinate, falling asleep after eating, loss of sex drive and erectile dysfunction in men, dry itchy skin, constant feelings of hunger, lack of energy, blurred vision and moodiness and/or irritability.

    If you are experiencing some of these symptoms and suspect you may have prediabetes, see your medical doctor who likely will order three key diabetes tests, the oral glucose tolerance test, the fasting blood glucose test and the Hemoglobin A1C.  If you are identified as being prediabetic, treatments may include medications, nutritional supplements and healthful diet and regular exercise.

   If you find you need help in eating healthy and exercising regularly, see a hypnotherapist to get you motivated.  Take care of yourself and stop the progression of prediabetes to diabetes.  Get motivated and BE WELL.