Reducing Type 2 Diabetes Risk

In 2018, The American Diabetes Association reported that 34.2 million people have diabetes, but only 1.6 million suffer from Type 1. The year prior, diabetes was the cause of 83,564 American deaths.

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 adults have prediabetes, but at least 84% don't know it. This puts many at risk for developing Type 2 and ups the chances for heart disease and stroke.

Risk factors include being overweight, older than 45, physical inactivity, family history, pregnancy and polycystic ovary syndrome. However, there are ways to reduce your risk for diabetes.

How to Reduce Risk

1. Fiber intake. A balanced diet is essential, but what you might be missing is fiber-rich foods. Vegetables, whole grains and beans aid in weight loss. However, fiber also decreases blood pressure, inflammation and lowers blood sugar.
2. Achieve your optimal weight. Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes, so losing weight is an excellent preventive measure. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports losing 5 to 7 percent of your current weight can help prevent or delay diabetes onset.
3. Exercise. Thirty minutes of moderate exercise five days per week can set you on the right path to reducing the risk for Type 2 diabetes. If exercise hasn't been part of your schedule, begin with a 15-minute walk before or after dinner. Up the intensity as your endurance improves.
4. Limit alcohol consumption. Simply limiting your alcohol intake to two drinks per day for men and one drink for women can improve your health and reduce your diabetes risk. The Mayo Clinic reports that excess alcohol can decrease your blood sugar level or impair your body's insulin secretion abilities.
5. Don't smoke. Tobacco spikes blood sugar and can cause insulin resistance. Pack-a-day smokers are twice as likely to develop diabetes as nonsmokers.

Testing

Several American medical associations recommend screenings every three years for adults 45 and older, regardless of risk factors. However, doctors may suggest testing for patients under 45 if they have one or more risk factors—such as a body mass index is 25 or higher as well as family history of the disease, hypertension and vascular disease.

Many pregnant people take a gestational diabetes test between 24 and 28 weeks. Nonpregnant patients might take random or fasting blood sugar tests. Your blood sugar level will determine whether you are within the normal range, have prediabetes or diabetes.

At your next checkup, ask about lifestyle changes you can make to prevent diabetes.

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