Pre-Diabetes: One In Six Americans Has It - And Most Are Unaware
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) reports that before people develop type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, they almost always have “pre-diabetes,” meaning that blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Recent research has shown, however, that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes. As recently reported in Medical News Today, Mark Schutta, M.D., medical director of the Penn Rodebaugh Diabetes Center, estimates that most people with pre-diabetes – one in six Americans – are completely unaware of their condition. As a result, he is urging at-risk patients to be proactive and ask their physicians to administer a simple test for pre-diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin and must be managed on a daily basis once diagnosed. If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to several health complications, including death. In an effort to raise awareness of this disease and its potentially devastating consequences, November is designated annually as American Diabetes Month.
"If you have pre-diabetes, there's a 75% probability that you will develop diabetes within 30 years," comments Dr. Schutta. "Our country is in the middle of a type 2 diabetes epidemic. Right now, if you're born in the U.S., your risk of developing diabetes is one in three." Further, according to Dr. Schutta, diabetes is a "silent killer," and, as such, patients often have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. "If you knew you had pre-diabetes, you could still prevent getting diabetes through changes in diet and exercise. There are many health benefits to knowing you have pre-diabetes and 'heading it off.' If you wait until you have diabetes, the vascular damage to your body may already be done."
According to Dr. Schutta, you should be screened for pre-diabetes if:
• You have a known family history of diabetes;
• You are African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander;
• While pregnant, you developed gestational diabetes;
• You delivered a baby who weighed more than nine pounds;
• You have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and are overweight.
For more information about diabetes, see the ADA homepage.
If you or a family member has suffered injuries in connection with the failure to diagnose or treat diabetes, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation. If you would like to receive our electronic newsletter, please click here.
Diabetes is a disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin and must be managed on a daily basis once diagnosed. If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to several health complications, including death. In an effort to raise awareness of this disease and its potentially devastating consequences, November is designated annually as American Diabetes Month.
"If you have pre-diabetes, there's a 75% probability that you will develop diabetes within 30 years," comments Dr. Schutta. "Our country is in the middle of a type 2 diabetes epidemic. Right now, if you're born in the U.S., your risk of developing diabetes is one in three." Further, according to Dr. Schutta, diabetes is a "silent killer," and, as such, patients often have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. "If you knew you had pre-diabetes, you could still prevent getting diabetes through changes in diet and exercise. There are many health benefits to knowing you have pre-diabetes and 'heading it off.' If you wait until you have diabetes, the vascular damage to your body may already be done."
According to Dr. Schutta, you should be screened for pre-diabetes if:
• You have a known family history of diabetes;
• You are African American, Latino, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander;
• While pregnant, you developed gestational diabetes;
• You delivered a baby who weighed more than nine pounds;
• You have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and are overweight.
For more information about diabetes, see the ADA homepage.
If you or a family member has suffered injuries in connection with the failure to diagnose or treat diabetes, please contact us on-line at Regan Zambri & Long or call us at 202-463-3030 for a free consultation. If you would like to receive our electronic newsletter, please click here.
Post A Comment / Question