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Memorial Health Center News
Nov 30, 2012
Prediabetes: Why you shouldn’t ignore it
Meteorologists can often warn us of impending bad weather. Doctors can often do the same with our health – warning us when we're at risk for a serious disease.
An example: a condition called prediabetes.
If you've been diagnosed with prediabetes, it means you have a blood glucose (sugar) level that is creeping up. Your level isn't high enough yet to be called type 2 diabetes, but it is abnormally high. The condition is basically a warning that screams, "Pay attention! Danger ahead!" That's because your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased with prediabetes. And once you have diabetes, it never goes away.
But here's the good news: If you act now, you can slow this trip toward diabetes. You may even be able to stop it altogether.
Taking a safer route
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), you can cut your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent if you:
- Lose just 7 percent of your body weight, or about 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.
- Exercise moderately – taking a brisk walk, for example – 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
These may require turning off the TV, prioritizing schedules to make time for exercise, and eating and shopping in a new way. A healthy diet is one that cuts back on calories and fat and emphasizes low-fat or nonfat dairy products; whole grains; lean meats; dried beans; fish; and lots of fruits and vegetables.
By taking positive steps now to control prediabetes, you can put yourself on the path to better health – a path that just might lead to a life without diabetes.
If you have any concerns about your health, talk to your primary care provider. If you don’t have a primary care provider, Memorial Health Center can help. Call the clinic location nearest you: Gilman (715-447-8293), Medford (715-748-2121), Phillips (715-339-4035), Prentice (715-428-2521), or Rib Lake (715-427-5701).
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