As part of Diabetes Alert Day, March 27, 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) posted updated information on Diabetes’ diagnosis and prevention on its website. This includes a Quiz (below), which the CDC invites you to take to help you identify whether you are a person at high risk for developing Diabetes.
According to the CDC, “Diabetes affects nearly 26 million Americans now, and the rate at which people develop it is increasing. … Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.”
Take the Quiz and Learn Your Risk
“Taking a short quiz to check your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is one way you can take the first step to prevent diabetes,” the CDC advocates. “CDC’s quiz (below) asks you about circumstances that can predict whether you are more likely than others to develop the disease. The quiz is called the prediabetes screening test, because it checks whether you are likely to have a condition called prediabetes, which often leads to type 2 diabetes within a few years.”
The CDC advocates that you “Take the opportunity to learn your risk for the disease, and how you can prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications.”
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, the CDC advises. “Knowing if you have a greater chance of getting the disease than other people is the first step in making changes to stay healthy.”
Diabetes Risk Factors
As the quiz illustrates, you are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes if you are:
- Obese
- Have a parent, brother or sister with type 2 diabetes
- Age 45 or older
- Developed diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes)
- Are not physically active
- Belong to certain racial or ethnic groups. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for type 2 diabetes.
According to the CDC, the lifetime risk of diabetes for people born in the United States in 2000 is:
- For all Americans: 1 of 3
- For African American and Hispanic males: 2 of 5
- For African American and Hispanic females: 1 of 2
Additionally, CDC estimates that as many as 1 in 3 U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue. One in 9 U.S. adults has diabetes now.
What is Prediabetes?
“Almost everyone who develops type 2 diabetes has prediabetes first,” according to the CDC.
Those with prediabetes have blood sugar (glucose) levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes, the CDC explains. “People with prediabetes are at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and eye disease. Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and the loss of feet or legs,” the CDC states.
“One out of every three U.S. adults has prediabetes. Yet most people with prediabetes aren’t aware of their condition, according to CDC research. Just 1 out of every 14 people with prediabetes know it,” according to the CDC. “Prediabetes is a wake-up call that type 2 diabetes could be in your future, but you can still prevent it.”
Research shows that people with prediabetes can greatly reduce the chance they will develop type 2 diabetes by losing weight and increasing exercise.
“Knowing your risk lets you take charge of your health by making lifestyle changes, such as staying physically active and eating nutritious foods. If the CDC screening quiz shows you have a high risk for prediabetes, talk to your health care provider about getting tested and making changes to eat more healthfully and add more physical activity to your routine,” the CDC advises.
How Can You Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?
“Even if you have prediabetes, you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by changing some habits, studies have shown. You can do it by losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight if you are overweight – that’s just 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person – and being physically active,” the CDC states.
Two keys to success, according to the CDC:
- Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, dancing or gardening.
- Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat, and reduce the number of calories you eat per day.
The CDC also suggests “participating in a lifestyle change program that offers advice on healthy eating, physical activity and coping skills in a structured group setting,” to help you make the needed lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of diabetes — especially if you have prediabetes or have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
More information on how to prevent Diabetes is available on the CDC’s website.
Diabetes Information and Resources from the CDC
Following is a comprehensive list of CDC resources on Diabetes, that is provided by the CDC:
“The National Diabetes Prevention Program, managed by CDC, is working with community-based organizations and insurers to bring proven lifestyle change programs to communities across America. You can find information on program locations from CDC’s list of recognized programs and from YMCA of the USA.
The National Diabetes Education Program, a joint program of CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offers many resources to help prevent type 2 diabetes (Small Steps. Big Rewards. Your Game Plan to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes) and to control diabetes (4 Steps to Control Your Diabetes. For Life). These include booklets with healthy eating tips and recipes, information on staying active, provider kits, and more. Publications are designed for various groups, including people with prediabetes, people with diabetes, family members, work sites and health professionals.
CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation offers a range of information on diabetes, including details on prevention; diabetes control and maintenance; risk factors; complications; tips for a healthy lifestyle; and other diabetes related information. In addition, the division offers data and trend information on diabetes (and related issues) for the nation and all 50 states, including county-level data:
- CDC Division of Diabetes Translation
- Prevent Diabetes
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
- More than 50 Ways to Prevent Diabetes
- Two Reasons I Find Time to Prevent Diabetes: My Future and Theirs
- Ten Ways Hispanics/Latinos Can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
- Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Step by Step (en español)
- New Moms Can Prevent Diabetes by Keeping Up Healthy Habits
[PDF - 86KB] (en español) [PDF - 38KB] - American Diabetes Association
- Health e-card: Prevent Diabetes
- Podcasts
- Diabetes Detection [PODCAST - 04:26 minutes]
- Diabetes PSA: Not Too Late [PODCAST - 01:00 minute]
- Diabetes PSA: Get Real [PODCAST - 01:00 minute]
- Diabetes PSA: Step by Step [PODCAST - 01:00 minute]
- Videos
- A Change for Life [VIDEO – 05:26 minutes]
- Blood, Sugar and Fears [VIDEO– 04:23 minutes]“
The CDC is a U.S. federal agency that “works to save lives, protect people from health threats, and save money to have a more secure nation.” CDC provides science-based information to help people make healthy choices that can help them live longer, healthier and more productive lives.
More Information
For more information on Diabetes, see the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on Diabetes, including
See also the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on Wellness/ Healthy Living for Seniors & Caregivers, including:
- Diet & Nutrition: Physical Wellness;
- Exercise: Physical Wellness;
- Sleep, Hygiene, Quit Smoking & Other Healthy Practices: Physical Wellness;
- Activities to Preserve Mental Acuity: Intellectual Wellness;
- Social Interaction & A Sense of Connection With Others: Social Wellness;
- Other Areas of Wellness: Emotional, Ethical/ Spiritual & Vocational Wellness; and
- Examples of Healthy Aging: Stories of Inspiring Seniors.
_____________
Copyright © 2012 Care-Help LLC, publisher of HelpingYouCare™.
Recent Comments from our Online Community