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Brief Description:

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. Findings show that modest weight loss can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Transcript:

Balintfy: Pre-diabetes increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Dr. Fradkin: About 57 million Americans have it.

Balintfy: Dr. Judith Fradkin is with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Dr. Fradkin: But the important thing to remember about pre-diabetes is that there really are no symptoms of pre-diabetes. So for people who are at risk for type two diabetes, it’s really important to get tested. And it’s the same test that can determine whether you have pre-diabetes or diabetes.

Balintfy: There are different ways to get tested.

Dr. Fradkin: Pre-diabetes can be established either on the basis of a fasting blood sugar or on the basis of a glucose challenge test where you drink a sugary solution and then check your blood sugar two hours later.

Balintfy: Dr. Fradkin adds that there are risk factors for diabetes.

Dr. Fradkin: The two biggest risk factors are probably a family history of type 2 diabetes, and being overweight or obese.

Balintfy: The findings of a major study show that modest weight loss can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes for adults by more than half through gradual lifestyle changes.

Dr. Fradkin: You don’t have to get down to your ideal body weight to dramatically reduce your risk of moving from pre-diabetes to diabetes. Even losing an average of 15 pounds makes a huge difference in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Rates were decreased by 58 percent over the three-year follow-up period, so a very, very big impact of things like walking for 30 minutes a day and losing really just a modest amount of weight.

Balintfy: For more information about preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes, call the National Diabetes Education Program at 1-888-693-NDEP or visit, www.YourDiabetesInfo.org. This is Joe Balintfy, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.