Friday, October 10, 2008

What Are The Ways Of Preventing Diabetes?

You can prevent or, in some cases, delay the onset of diabetes by taking charge before it advances from what is known as the pre-diabetic stage to being a full-blown illness. Pre-diabetes refers to the stage where you have higher-than-normal blood glucose, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Pre-diabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes if nothing is done to reverse the condition. However, a recent study called the Diabetes Prevention Program, indicates that persons with pre-diabetes can stop type 2 diabetes from developing by increasing their physical activity and changing their eating habits.

Diabetes prevention is possible. If you are preconditioned to developing diabetes because of your genetic background, age, or weight, you will be happy to know that you may be able to delay or stop the onset of the disease. Persons whose ethic background includes African, Native American, Latino, and Asian are particularly prone to developing diabetes. If you belong to one of these groups and are older than forty-five, you should get tested for pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Doctors can tell if you are pre-diabetic by performing two standard tests, namely the fasting test (FPG - Fasting Plasma Glucose) and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). The results of these tests will confirm whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or if you are diabetes-free.

The FPG test is normally done in the morning, and the patient is advised not to eat anything after 10 PM the previous night. A higher-than-normal reading for the FPG is an indication that you have been insulin resistant for a while.

OGTT, the glucose tolerance test, is used to measure your blood glucose level after an overnight fast, but unlike the FPG, you are also given a glucose drink two hours after the test. Your blood glucose levels are then checked two hours later; if the range is between 140 and 199 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), you will be considered pre-diabetic. These levels are also an indication that you may develop type 2 diabetes later on. 

If you are tested positively as having pre-diabetes, it is important to take annual tests so that you catch developed diabetes in its early stages. Early diagnosis is the easiest way to get the disease under control before too much damage has been done to vital organs.

Exercise and a change of diet, as well as moderate weight loss, have been proven to delay or prevent the onset of pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Controlling your health is dependent on the changes you make in your daily habits. While avoiding serious illness is one reason to having a physical lifestyle, overall good health and long-lasting mobility are two other incentives to getting in shape.

To learn more go to Diabetes Cure and at Diabetes Research

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