“I’m living my best life!” I don’t know about you, but that phrase has been the mantra of my life for a while now. I live it, walk it, talk it, and try to make daily decisions with that phrase in mind. It seems like an easy thing to do, but what happens when the decisions we make lead to health conditions with no symptoms? One of the illnesses that comes to mind is prediabetes. While many people are familiar with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, not everyone is as familiar with prediabetes.
So, what is prediabetes?
Prediabetes means a person has higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. A person who has prediabetes is on the path to developing type 2 diabetes and is at increased risk for additional serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke.
1 in 3 American adults (84 million) has prediabetes but 90 percent of them don’t know they have it. The good news is, with early diagnosis, prediabetes can be reversed – through changes like weight loss, healthy eating habits, and increased physical activity.
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There are several risk factors that increase a person’s risk of prediabetes, including:
- Being overweight
- Not being physically active
- Having a parent, brother or sister with diabetes
- Being over the age of 40
- If you’re a woman, having a history of gestational diabetes
At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering how you can assess your risk and continue living your best life—GOOD! By visiting DoIHavePrediabetes.org you can know your risk of prediabetes in 1 minute. This simple test asks you questions about your health and habits and gives you a score based on your answers.
If you score high on the risk test, talk to your doctor about a simple blood test to check your blood sugar levels. If you have prediabetes, ask your doctor about signing up for CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program - a scientifically proven program that can help you reverse prediabetes and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Assess your risk now and take action! With healthy lifestyle changes, prediabetes can be reversed and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed. Take the risk test today and continue moving in the direction of your best self yet! Visit DoIHavePrediabetes.org to learn more.
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Bryana Holcomb is the Editor of BlackDoctor.org and graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women's Studies, an MBA in Management Strategy, and Life Coaching and Nutrition certifications. Connect with Bryana on Instagram, @BryDelicia.
