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This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

Welcome to this podcast series on diabetes, brought to you by the National Diabetes Education Program or NDEP. NDEP is a joint initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Almost 21 million Americans have diabetes and another 54 million have pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition that raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. People with pre-diabetes have high blood glucose levels, higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Forty percent of people in the U.S. age 40-74 have pre-diabetes. You could have pre-diabetes and not know it. Only a blood test would tell you for sure if you have pre-diabetes. The good news is that progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes is not inevitable. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed.

The Diabetes Prevention Program (or DPP) study proved that people with pre-diabetes were able to reduce their risk of diabetes if they reduced fat and calorie intake, were physically active at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week, and lost 5-7 % of their body weight (that’s 10-15 pounds if you weight 200 pounds).

You don’t need to be a marathon runner or starve yourself to prevent diabetes. Moderate changes in what you eat and what you do that lead to modest weight loss can make a difference.

To learn more about pre-diabetes or to order free materials on preventing or managing diabetes, visit www.ndep.nih.gov or call the National Diabetes Education Program at 1-800-438-5383.

To access the most accurate and relevant health information that affects you, your family and your community, please visit www.cdc.gov.