![\"A](\"http://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesprevention/diabetesprevention_456px.jpg\")
\n It\u2019s real. It\u2019s common. And most importantly, it\u2019s reversible. You can prevent or delay prediabetes from developing into type 2 diabetes with simple, proven lifestyle changes.
\nAmazing but true: approximately 84 million American adults\u2014more than 1 out of 3\u2014have prediabetes. What\u2019s more, 90% of people with prediabetes don\u2019t know they have it. Could this be you? Read on to find out the facts and what you can do to stay healthy.
\nPrediabetes Is a Big Deal
\nDon\u2019t let the \u201cpre\u201d fool you\u2014prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
\nMany people don\u2019t realize that type 1 and type 2 are different kinds of diabetes.
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- About 90%-95% of people with diabetes have type 2; about 5% have type 1. \n
- Type 1 is caused by an immune reaction and can\u2019t yet be prevented; type 2 can be prevented or delayed through lifestyle changes. \n
- Type 1 often starts quickly and has severe symptoms; type 2 is a gradual disease that develops over many years. \n
- Type 1 occurs most often in children, teens, and young adults; type 2 occurs most often in older people (though increasingly children, teens, and young adults are developing the disease). \n
- People with type 1 must use insulin every day to survive. \n
- Prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes, but not type 1. \n
Learn more about different diabetes types and treatments.
\nPrediabetes Flies Under the Radar
\nYou can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems show up. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to talk to your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested if you have any of the risk factors for prediabetes, which include:
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- Being overweight \n
- Being 45 years or older \n
- Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes \n
- Being physically active less than 3 times a week \n
- Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds \n
Race and ethnicity are also a factor: African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and some Asian Americans are at higher risk.
\nReady to find out your risk? Take the quiz at DoIHavePrediabetes.orgExternal \n and be sure to share the results with your doctor.
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Recipe for prevention: healthy eating and physical activity.
Diabetes Is Harder to Live with Than Prediabetes
\nThough people with prediabetes are already at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, they don\u2019t yet have to manage the serious health problems that come with diabetes.
\nDiabetes affects every major organ in the body. People with diabetes often develop major complications, such as kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage (nerve damage can lead to amputation of a toe, foot, or leg). Some studies suggest that diabetes doubles the risk of depression, and that risk increases as more diabetes-related health problems develop. All can sharply reduce quality of life.
\nPrediabetes = Preventdiabetes
\nThink of prediabetes as a fork in the road: Ignore it, and your risk for type 2 diabetes goes up. Lose a modest amount of weight and get regular physical activity, and your risk goes down. Modest weight loss means 5% to 7% of body weight, just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. Regular physical activity means getting at least 150 minutes a week of brisk walking or similar activity. That\u2019s just 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
\nThe CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program has been proven to help people make the lifestyle changes needed to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Through the program, participants:
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- Work with a trained coach to make lasting lifestyle changes. \n
- Discover how to eat healthy and add more physical activity into their day. \n
- Find out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow progress. \n
If you\u2019re told you have prediabetes, ask your doctor or nurse if there is a National Diabetes Prevention Program offered in your community. The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now.
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