FAQ's (Frequently asked questions) About Diabetes

What are the most important things to do to prevent diabetes?

A study of Diabetes Prevention Program showed that people can delay and possibly prevent the disease by losing a small amount of weight (5 to 7 percent of total body weight) through 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week and healthier eating.

So, Don’t do delay to work out something to reduce your weight up to 7% , This is the major activity to you.

When should I be tested for diabetes?

Anyone aged 45 years or older should consider getting tested for diabetes, especially if you are overweight. If you are younger than 45, but are overweight and have one or more additional risk, you should consider getting tested.

What are the risk factors which increase the likelihood of developing diabetes?

• Being overweight or obese.

• Having a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes.

• Having a prior history of gestational diabetes or birth of at least one baby

• weighing more than 9 pounds.

• Having high blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher.

• Having abnormal cholesterol with HDL ("good") cholesterol is 35 or lower, or triglyceride level is 250 or  

   higher.

• Being physically inactive—exercising fewer than three times a week.

How does body weight affect the likelihood of developing diabetes?

Being overweight or obese is a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Being overweight can keep your body from making and using insulin properly, and can also cause high blood pressure.

 

What is pre-diabetes?

People with blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range have "pre-diabetes." Doctors sometimes call this condition impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the test used to diagnose it. Insulin resistance and pre-diabetes usually have no symptoms. You may have one or both conditions for several years without noticing anything.

If you have pre-diabetes, you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In addition, people with pre-diabetes also have a higher risk of heart disease.

Progression to diabetes among those with pre-diabetes is not inevitable. Studies suggest that weight loss and increased physical activity among people with pre-diabetes prevent or delay diabetes and may return blood glucose levels to normal.