Diabetes Prevention

Should I Be Tested for Diabetes?

Anyone 45 years old or older should consider getting tested for diabetes. If you are 45 or older and overweight—see the BMI chart—getting tested is strongly recommended. If you are younger than 45, overweight and have one or more of the risk factors, you should consider getting tested. Ask your doctor for a fasting blood glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test. Your doctor will tell you if you have normal blood glucose, pre-diabetes or diabetes.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Medical Guidelines

Blood glucose goals
Normal fasting: less than 100 mg/dl
2 hours after eating: less than 140 mg/dl

Hemoglobin A1c
Less than or equal to 6.5 percent

Blood pressure
Less than or equal to 120/80 mm Hg

Blood lipids
Total cholesterol: less than or equal to 200 mg/ dl
HDL (good cholesterol): greater than 45 mg/dl for men and greater than 55 mg/dl for women
LDL (bad cholesterol): less than or equal to 100 mg/dl
Ideal triglycerides: less than or equal to 150 mg/dl

Reducing your risk for diabetes

There are many things that you can do to lower your chances of getting diabetes, including exercising regularly, reducing fat and calorie intake and losing weight. Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels also helps you stay healthy; these can be lowered with a combination of diet, exercise and medications. Your doctor or health-care provider can help you make a plan.

Reach and maintain a reasonable body weight

Your weight affects your health in many ways. Being overweight can keep your body from making and using insulin properly. Excess body weight can also cause high blood pressure.

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight relative to height. You can use BMI to see whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. Use the Body Mass Index Table below to find your BMI.

• Find your height in the left-hand column.
• Move across in the same row to the number closest to your weight.
• The number at the top of that column is your BMI. Check the word above your BMI to see whether you are normal weight, overweight, or obese.

Diabetes Prevention Program

Research has demonstrated that people at risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes by losing weight. The results of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) showed that moderate diet changes and physical activity can delay and prevent type 2 diabetes. Participants in this federally funded study of 3,234 people at high risk for diabetes experienced a five to seven percent weight loss. For example, a five to seven percent weight loss for a 200-pound person would be 10 to 14 pounds.

Study participants were overweight and had higher than normal levels of blood glucose, a condition called pre-diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. Both pre-diabetes and obesity are strong risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Because of the high risk for diabetes among some minority groups, about half of the DPP participants were African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Hispanic/Latino.DPP participants also included others at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, such as women with a history of gestational diabetes and individuals aged 60 and older.

The DPP tested two approaches to preventing diabetes: lifestyle change—a program of healthy eating and exercise—and the diabetes drug Metformin. People in the lifestyle change group exercised about 30 minutes a day five days a week, usually by walking, and lowered their intake of fat and calories. Those who took the diabetes drug Metformin received information on exercise and diet. A third group only received information on exercise and diet.

The results showed that people in the lifestyle change group reduced their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. In the first year of the study, people lost an average of 15 pounds. Lifestyle change was even more effective in those aged 60 and older. They reduced their risk by 71 percent. People receiving Metformin reduced their risk by 31 percent.