Issue Date: November 23, 2008
Are you pre-diabetic?
A simple test can help you elude the USA's No. 7 killer.
Often, folks who have type 2 diabetes (the most common form) don't develop the disease suddenly. It may smolder unnoticed for years because symptoms can be subtle.
Your body continues to convert the food you eat into glucose, which is the "sugar" your body uses for energy and cell repair. But with diabetes, either the pancreas can't make enough insulin to move the glucose from your blood to your cells, or your body's tissues no longer can use it correctly. The concentration of blood sugar slowly drifts up. Organs and other tissues become damaged, and then symptoms become noticeable.
A simple test of your fasting blood sugar level can determine whether you're at risk for diabetes. If the test results show that you are, then early detection can help you stave off diabetes; it's possible to prevent the disease altogether if you make lifestyle changes early on.
When I see patients who have a family history of diabetes or whose habits (physically inactive, poor diet, overweight) put them at risk for diabetes, I consider it fortunate if I discover their blood sugar level when it's still in the pre-diabetic range. With behavioral changes, we have a chance to turn things around.
The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has tripled since 1980. Talk to your doctor about a blood test to see if you're at risk.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and CEO of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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