Monday, June 11, 2012

More On Pre-Diabetes

On Wednesday May 30, I wrote a blog titled "Beyond Ecstatic!"  The blog was about the value of exercise in reverting a patient with pre-diabetes to normal vascular function.

With 80 million Americans believed to already be pre-diabetic and many more expected to join their ranks, the topic deserves careful consideration. In my practice, I am seeing quite a number of patients who fall into this danger zone.

A new study shows that pre-diabetics who change their lifestyle and lower their blood sugar below 100mg/dl at least once over a three year period after having been diagnosed as pre-diabetic are 24% less likely to progress to full blown diabetes. Those who did not respond to the lifestyle intervention had a 31% increased risk of progressing to diabetes.

As previously discussed, once you have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, your vascular system has already undergone negative changes likely to lead to increased blood pressure, heart disease, and possibly diabetes. However, intervening at that earlier point can make a world of difference.

Please, please, please, don't wait until something truly bad happens. If you find out that your fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dl, you must take actions, including changing your diet, improving your physical fitness,and managing your stress to avoid progression to full blown diabetes.

An ounce of prevention is worth everything in this case.

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