by Anisha Shukla | Nov 17, 2020 | Articles, Diabetes
About the Prediabetes Risk Test
More than 84 million (1 in 3) American adults have prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. What’s more, nearly 90% percent of those people don’t know they have it. Having prediabetes greatly increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health conditions. It’s critical for Americans to learn their prediabetes risk, be screened regularly and take the steps necessary to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) launched its first risk test in 1993. The risk test was adapted by a published study and validated using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To simplify the test, only health traits that people would know about themselves were included, such as age, height, and weight, but not blood sugar or cholesterol levels.
A person with a high score on the online risk test (five or higher) is at significant risk for having prediabetes. However, only a blood test can determine an official diagnosis.
Take the test to determine your risk for prediabetes here.
When a person has prediabetes, their blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes can increase a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. CDC estimates that 88 million, or 1 in 3, US adults aged 18 years or older had prediabetes in 2018. This number includes about 35 million adults aged 45 to 64 years and 24 million aged 65 years or older. Although an estimated one-third of US adults had prediabetes in 2018, only 15.3% were aware of it. Trends in the prevalence of prediabetes among US adults remained constant from 2005 to 2016. However, the percentage with prediabetes who had ever been told by a health care professional that they had prediabetes (awareness) has doubled (Figure 6) (CDC Diabetes Report Card, 2019).
If your prediabetes risk assessment comes out showing you have a high risk of getting diabetes, take action sooner than later. Even the smallest change in lifestyle habits, such as dietary changes, mild exercise, managing stress, and surrounding yourself with a strong support group can help you to continue to stay healthy. Contact us to reserve your spot in the next CDC Diabetes Prevention Program.
by Anisha Shukla | Nov 17, 2020 | Articles, Diabetes
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Are you or someone you know at risk for Type 2 Diabetes? You can assess your risk level by taking this CDC quiz.
Anisha at Functional Medicine Lifestyle now offers a Type 2 Diabetes prevention program, a program created and certified by the CDC. Not sure if this is the right program for you? Find out here why you should participate in a Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Program.
Contact us today to find out when the next Diabetes Prevention Class is being offered!
Diabetes is more common in the general population than you may think – based on the CDC’s 2020 National Diabetes Statistics report, 88 million people over the age of 18 have prediabetes. Diabetes is not necessarily always specific to one age group, race, lifestyle factors, or genetics. While some have higher risk factors, few are entirely immune to the disease. The CDC certified Diabetes Prevention Program can help you and your loved ones avoid the onset and complications of diabetes by educating yourself on risk factors, strategies to reduce your risk of becoming diabetic, and incorporating lifestyle changes. According to the studies done on the efficacy of the CDC’s Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), “participants in the lifestyle intervention losing 5-7% of their bodyweight experienced a 58% lower incidence of type 2 diabetes than those who did not receive the lifestyle intervention”.
DPP programs can be offered in person or online to ensure increased access among vulnerable or rural populations. Some employers and insurance carriers cover the cost of these programs. Check with your employer or insurance carrier to see if they cover the cost of attending one of these programs.
Key components of the program include:
- CDC-approved curriculum with lessons, handouts, and other resources to help you make healthy changes.
- A lifestyle coach, specially trained to lead the program, to help you learn new skills, encourage you to set and meet goals, and keep you motivated. The coach will also facilitate discussions and help make the program fun and engaging.
- A support group of people with similar goals and challenges. Together, you can share ideas, celebrate successes, and work to overcome obstacles. In some programs, the participants stay in touch with each other during the week. It may be easier to make changes when you’re working as a group than doing it on your own
Additional Diabetes Resources:
- The United States Diabetes Surveillance System is an interactive web application that provides national, state, and county diabetes data. Users can view the data in the form of customized maps, charts, or tables on desktop and mobile devices.
- The Healthy People 2020 Diabetes website provides information about diabetes-specific objectives and recommended practices as part of the nation’s 10-year health agenda.
- The National Diabetes Statistics Report is a CDC publication that provides updated statistics about diabetes in the United States for a scientific audience.
