Are you thinking, “Phew, glad I don’t have the real thing.” And, “I won’t worry about it for now.”
If so, please think again.
Once you get diabetes it’s hard to slow it down. Prediabetes is a window of opportunity, a chance to PREVENT or significantly delay getting type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is like the expression, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Prediabetes is the time to seek help. Talk to your doctor about steps you can take and read Diabetes Essentials. The book is full of good practical advice and recipes to get you started to prevent diabetes. Don’t be surprised if your doctor suggests you take a daily diabetes pill called Metformin; research is showing that when people with prediabetes take this pill, they are less likely to get type 2 diabetes.
Consider going for a daily walk. Look for a coach or friend who can help you become more active. If you have put on weight over the years, think about making even one small change, like drinking less soft drink, juice or other sweet drinks.
The Diabetes Prevention Program, also known as the DPP, is an American clinical research project that is following thousands of people with prediabetes, some for almost 20 years. It has shown that when people with prediabetes get help to make healthy changes they can reduce their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58%. If you are over 60, you can reduce your risk by 71%. That’s huge, and makes it very worthwhile to do something now.
So yes, please take your prediabetes diagnosis seriously. Start today to make small daily changes and go for an annual check-up to see how you are doing.