Health & Wellness

This Halloween, Beware PreDiabetes

Published

October 29, 2017

by Asma Khan, MD, HRHCare Urgent Care, Nyack
With Halloween around the corner and holiday season close behind, it’s safe to say that many of us will consume a little more sugar than usual over the coming months. Being responsible with sugar intake is important, as many of us may be prediabetic or at risk of prediabetes without knowing.
So, let’s go over the facts around preventing and managing prediabetes.

What is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a pre-diagnosis or “warning sign” of diabetes. It occurs when your blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Being diagnosed with prediabetes is an indication that you may develop type 2 diabetes if you don’t make some lifestyle changes.
Diabetes develops very gradually, so when you’re in the prediabetes stage you may not show any symptoms. However, some tell-tale signs of prediabetes include:

Being hungrier and thirstier than normal
Losing weight, despite eating more
More frequent urges to use the bathroom
Increased level of tiredness

Causes and Risk Factors

Prediabetes happens when your body starts to have trouble producing insulin, which is what your body uses to transport glucose. There are several risk factors that make it more likely for your body to have problems producing insulin, including:

Being overweight, especially if you carry extra weight in your abdomen
Lack of physical activity
Having a family history of prediabetes
Race – African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans are at a higher risk
Gestational diabetes (developing diabetes while pregnant)
Having high blood pressure or high cholesterol

Prevention and Treatment

The American Diabetes Association says that serious lifestyle changes can help prevent type 2 diabetes, even if you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes. Typical recommendations include:

Eating well, and possibly working with a dietitian or certified diabetes educator to create a healthy meal plan that fits your needs
Regular exercise which, along with the normal health benefits, allows your body to use more glucose
If you’re overweight, starting a weight loss program as soon as you’re diagnosed
If you’re at a very high risk of developing type 2 diabetes after being diagnosed as prediabetic, your physician may prescribe a medication, such as metformin

Prediabetes: What You Need to Know
Even if you’re not overweight and don’t have any of the risk factors, your physician may want to start testing your blood glucose level every three years, starting when you’re 45. Your risk of developing prediabetes increases as you age, so it’s a good idea to stay on top of any blood glucose problems early.
Your physician can run either a fasting plasma glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test to check for prediabetes. Speak with your physician to learn more about these tests, and which one would be right for you.
Remember to eat healthy, stay active, and don’t go overboard with the sugar this holiday season!

Asma Khan, MD, is the Clinical Director at HRHCare Urgent Care, 84 N Highland Ave between High Street and Sickles Ave in Nyack. Along with offices in Haverstraw and Spring Valley, the facility is part of the 28 health center HRHCare network in the Hudson Valley and Long Island providing comprehensive primary care.