Prediabetes: Am I at risk? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 of every 3 U.S. adults had prediabetes in 2010. That is 79 million Americans aged 20 years or older. The vast majority of people living with prediabetes do not know they have it. People with prediabetes have blood glucose (blood sugar) levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes and are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you have prediabetes, you are 5 to15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people with normal blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. When you take steps to prevent type 2 diabetes, you also lower your risk for possible complications of diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and other health problems. Many factors increase your risk for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. To find out more about your risk, see which characteristics in this list apply to you. -- I am 45 years of age or older. -- I am overweight. -- I have a parent with diabetes. -- I have a sister or brother with diabetes. -- My family background is African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander. -- I had diabetes while I was pregnant (gestational diabetes), or I gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more. -- I am physically active less than three times a week. It is important to find out early if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, because early treatment can prevent serious problems that diabetes can cause, such as loss of eyesight or kidney damage. Find out if you could have prediabetes by taking the screening test on this page. If the test shows you could have prediabetes, talk to a health care provider as soon as possible. If you are 45 years of age or older, you should consider getting a blood test from a health care provider for prediabetes and diabetes, especially if you are overweight. If your test results indicate you have prediabetes you should enroll in an evidence-based lifestyle program to lower your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Studies show that people with prediabetes can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by losing 5% to 7% of their weight—that is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person. Weight loss should be achieved by making lasting lifestyle changes to improve nutrition and increase physical activity. If your blood test showed you have prediabetes you should also have your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels checked again in 6 months to 1 year.

1. http://www.fitango.com/categories.php?id=617
Fitango Education
Health Topics
Diabetes Prevention

2. 1
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates that 1 of every 3 U.S. adults had
prediabetes in 2010. That is 79 million Americans
aged 20 years or older. The vast majority of people
living with prediabetes do not know they have it.

3. 2
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
People with prediabetes have blood glucose (blood
sugar) levels that are higher than normal, but not
high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes
and are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes,
heart disease, and stroke.

4. 3
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
If you have prediabetes, you are 5 to15 times more
likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people with
normal blood glucose (blood sugar) levels. When
you take steps to prevent type 2 diabetes, you also
lower your risk for possible complications of
diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney
disease, blindness, nerve damage, and other
health problems.

5. 4
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
Many factors increase your risk for prediabetes
and type 2 diabetes. To find out more about your
risk, see which characteristics in this list apply to
you.
-- I am 45 years of age or older.
-- I am overweight.
-- I have a parent with diabetes.

6. 5
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
-- I have a sister or brother with diabetes.
-- My family background is African American,
Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian American,
or Pacific Islander.
-- I had diabetes while I was pregnant (gestational
diabetes), or I gave birth to a baby weighing 9
pounds or more.

7. 6
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
-- I am physically active less than three times a
week.
It is important to find out early if you have
prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, because early
treatment can prevent serious problems that
diabetes can cause, such as loss of eyesight or
kidney damage.

8. 7
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
Find out if you could have prediabetes by taking
the screening test on this page. If the test shows
you could have prediabetes, talk to a health care
provider as soon as possible.
If you are 45 years of age or older, you should
consider getting a blood test from a health care
provider for prediabetes and diabetes, especially if
you are overweight.

9. 8
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
If your test results indicate you have prediabetes
you should enroll in an evidence-based lifestyle
program to lower your chances of getting type 2
diabetes. Studies show that people with
prediabetes can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes
by losing 5% to 7% of their weight—that is 10 to 14
pounds for a 200-pound person. Weight loss
should be achieved by making lasting lifestyle
changes to improve nutrition and increase physical
activity.

10. 9
Overview
**Prediabetes: Am I at risk?**
If your blood test showed you have prediabetes
you should also have your blood glucose (blood
sugar) levels checked again in 6 months to 1 year.

11. 10
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Move more**
Get up, get out, and get moving. Try walking,
dancing, bike riding, swimming, or playing ball with
your friends or family. It doesn't matter what you
do as long as you enjoy it. Try different things so
you don’t get bored.

12. 11
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Eat the healthy plate way**
Focus on eating less and making healthy
food choices. Try to eat more fruits and
vegetables (5 to 9 servings a day), dried beans,
and
whole grains. Cut down on fatty and fried foods.
You still can eat the foods you enjoy, just eat
less. See other side for an example of a healthy
plate.

13. 12
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Take off some weight**
Once you start eating less and moving more, you
will lose weight. By losing even 10 pounds, you can
cut your chances of getting diabetes.

14. 13
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Set goals you can meet**
Start by making small changes. Try being active for
15 minutes a day this week. Then each week add 5
minutes until you build up to 30 minutes 5 days a
week. Try to cut 100 calories out of your diet each
day (that’s one can of soda!). Slowly reduce your
calories over time. Talk to your health care team
about your goals.

15. 14
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Record your progress**
Write down all the things you eat and drink and
the number of minutes you are active. Keeping a
diary is one of the best ways to lose weight
and keep it off.

16. 15
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Get help**
You don’t have to prevent diabetes alone. Ask
your family and friends to help you out. Involve
them in your activities. You can help each other
move more, eat less, and live a healthier life. There
are groups in your area that can help, as well as
your health care team.

17. 16
7 steps to prevent diabetes
**Keep at it **
Making even small changes is hard in the
beginning.Try adding one new change a week. If
you get off track, start again and keep at it.

18. 17
Testing and Risks
**When should I be tested for diabetes?**
Anyone aged 45 years or older should consider
getting tested for diabetes, especially if you are
overweight. If you are younger than 45, but are
overweight and have one or more additional risk
factors (see below), you should consider getting
tested.

19. 18
Testing and Risks
**What are the risk factors which increase the
likelihood of developing diabetes?**-- Being overweight or obese.
-- Having a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

20. 19
Testing and Risks
**What are the risk factors which increase the
likelihood of developing diabetes?**-- Being African American, American Indian, Asian
American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic
American/Latino heritage.
-- Having a prior history of gestational diabetes or
birth of at least one baby weighing more than 9
pounds.
-- Having high blood pressure measuring 140/90 or
higher.

21. 20
Testing and Risks
**What are the risk factors which increase the
likelihood of developing diabetes?**-- Having abnormal cholesterol with HDL ("good")
cholesterol is 35 or lower, or triglyceride level is
250 or higher.
-- Being physically inactive—exercising fewer than
three times a week.
-- For more information, see the National Diabetes
Information Clearinghouse’s Am I at Risk for Type 2
Diabetes?

22. 21
Weight and Diabetes
**How does body weight affect the likelihood of
developing diabetes?**Being overweight or obese is a leading risk factor
for type 2 diabetes. Being overweight can keep
your body from making and using insulin properly,
and can also cause high blood pressure. The
Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a major
federally funded study of 3,234 people at high risk
for diabetes, showed that moderate diet and
exercise of about 30 minutes or more, 5 or more
days per week, or of 150 or more minutes per
week, resulting in a 5% to 7% weight loss can delay
and possibly prevent typ