Prediabetes Answer the Wake-Up Call

When the alarm clock rings, it’s decision time. Hit snooze and snuggle in, or get up and start a brand new day. You have a similar decision to make with a prediabete diagnosis. When that alarm sounds, hitting the snooze button could lead to Type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.

What is Prediabetes?

“Before people develop Type 2 diabetes, they almost always have prediabetes, which means their blood sugar is higher than it should be, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes,” said Rachel Rogers, one of NKCH’s diabetes educators. “Prediabetes is a wake-up call.”

Prediabetes isn’t a guarantee you’ll automatically develop Type 2 diabetes. Instead, it’s an opportunity to make basic lifestyle changes that can help prevent prediabetes from going any further.

Decrease your risk for diabetes by:

• Changing what you eat. Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat and skinless poultry to meals.
• Getting a good night’s sleep. Experts recommend at least seven hours each night.
• Increasing physical activity. Try to get at least 150 minutes each week. A brisk 30-minute walk each day is a great starting point.
• Losing weight. If you are overweight, losing just 7% of your body weight (14 pounds for a 200-pound person) can make a big difference.

Surprising Stats

• Nearly 492,000 Missouri adults have diagnosed diabetes.
• More than 200,000 Missouri adults have undiagnosed diabetes.
• About 1/3 of Missouri adults have prediabetes.

Source: Missouri Diabetes Report 2019, Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services

Our Living With Diabetes class teaches you how to manage your condition better so you can live an active life.