Only 1 in 8 People Are Aware They Have This Blood Sugar Condition

When it comes to prediabetes, only about one in eight people are aware they have the condition, a recent study reports.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one out of every three people - or 86 million Americans - have prediabetes, a condition that is often asymptomatic and can easily develop into full-blown type 2 diabetes.

The study found that people with prediabetes who are aware of their condition are more likely to engage in lifestyle changes that prevent further health problems.

"Prediabetes-aware adults have increased odds of engagement in physical activity and weight management," the study authors wrote in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

In fact, people who were aware of their prediabetes were about 30 percent more likely to get the recommended amount of moderate exercise each week and 80 percent more likely to lose at least 7 percent of their body weight in the past year.

With prediabetes, two things will help

According to the CDC, just two lifestyle changes can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes: losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight and getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week, like brisk walking.

Without making these changes, about 15 to 30 percent of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years, the CDC reports.

Anyone over the age of 45 should consider getting tested for diabetes, while people younger than 45 but who have risk factors like obesity, overweight, a family history or high blood pressure, should consider getting tested as well.

"Increasing patients’ awareness of prediabetes could result in increased performance of exercise and weight management behaviors and, most importantly, decreased risk of future diabetes," the authors wrote.

Source: Nurse.com, CDC
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