How to Turn Prediabetes Around

You’ve likely heard that type 2 diabetes is a growing problem in the United States. It’s become so widespread that more than 35 million people have received a diagnosis — and it can occur at any age, even in adolescence.

But what might come as a surprise is that even more people are living with prediabetes. This condition that leads to type 2 diabetes affects 98 million people, or 1 in 3, including 18% of adolescents.

These numbers are very concerning, but you can also see them as a positive warning signal. That’s because learning you have prediabetes can still give you time to delay and even prevent type 2 diabetes entirely. 

Dr. Rekha Kesavan and our team at Comprehensive Primary Care know that more than 12% of people living in Georgia have diabetes, and many may not realize it. Unfortunately, this increases their chances of severe health complications, including heart disease, vision problems, and nerve damage.

We offer preventive healthcare services, including glucose testing, to detect chronic conditions like diabetes as early as possible. These preventive measures give you the best chances of successful treatment and, in the case of prediabetes, the opportunity to reverse the condition completely.

Do you have prediabetes? Here’s how we can help you turn things around.

Prediabetes versus type 2 diabetes

Both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes involve high blood sugar. However, there are some distinctions.

First, when you have type 2 diabetes, cells in your body don’t respond to insulin appropriately. You may have heard this referred to as “insulin resistance,” which keeps glucose — or blood sugar — from moving into your cells. 

Instead, sugar stays in the blood, causing glucose levels to rise. Without treatment, this causes serious health complications, from blindness and kidney failure to heart attack, stroke, and amputations.

When you have prediabetes, your blood sugar is high, but it’s not high enough for an official type 2 diagnosis. However, it’s still cause for concern. That’s because it often goes hand in hand with metabolic syndrome, a term that describes the existence of obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Without treatment, prediabetes can also cause long-term damage to the body, just like type 2 diabetes.

Reversing prediabetes

Now for the good news. 

If you have prediabetes, you have up to a 50% chance of having full-blown type 2 diabetes within 5-10 years. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Instead, you can take steps to reverse this condition and get your numbers within a healthy range. That’s where our team can help.

Unlike other forms of diabetes, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes often develop because of lifestyle factors. That means changing certain habits can do wonders with getting your system back on track.

Effective methods for reversing prediabetes include:

• Losing excess weight
• Adopting a healthy diet
• Reducing sugary foods
• Getting regular exercise
• Improving sleep quality

Our team can also offer personalized guidance based on your numbers and unique risk factors, such as medications or weight loss treatment.

The most important thing to understand is that you don’t have to feel alone or overwhelmed if you have prediabetes. Our team is here to make sure you learn the tools and strategies you need to improve your overall health moving forward.

Could you have high blood sugar? Don’t wait to take action. Contact Comprehensive Primary Care to schedule a consultation at our offices in Lawrenceville or Suwannee, Georgia.