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Pre-Diabetes: What are the Risk Factors?

June 19, 2018

It’s like a wake-up call for your body but, unfortunately, most people who have pre-diabetes don’t hear it because there are no telling symptoms.

The statistics from the Centers for Disease Control are alarming, revealing that more than 84 million American adults, or 33.9 percent of the adult population, have pre-diabetes. With it, one’s blood sugar level is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes.However, without attention, it will often progress to diabetes.

“If you have pre-diabetes, you are three to 10 times more likely to develop regular diabetes,” explains Elizabeth Sibicky, APRN, with the Backus Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. “The problem is that we have so many reasons to have pre-diabetes in our society today.”

Risk factors, she adds, include being:

  • Overweight
  • Over age 45
  • Related to someone with Type 2 diabetes
  • Inactive
  • A woman who had gestational diabetes or has polycystic ovary syndrome
  • African American, Latino, Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander

Many primary care physicians are currently screening patients for pre-diabetes with a simple blood test. Lifestyle changes can also lower your risk of developing pre-diabetes and, possibly, diabetes or heart disease later on.

Such lifestyle changes include:

  1. Losing weight.Trimming just 7 percent of your body weight (14 pounds for a 200-pound person)can make a huge difference. Start by tracking your weight, meals and activity.Sibicky says she also recommends bariatric surgery for her morbidly obese patients. A bariatric patient herself, she knows how dramatic it can change life.
  2. Eating healthy.Try filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables (salads, broccoli, asparagus, carrots), a quarter with starchy foods (potatoes, rice, corn or peas), and a quarter with healthy protein (fish, chicken, beans). Limit the amount of carbs like baked goods and pasta because they can raise your blood sugar level.
  3. The national recommendation is 150 minutes a week and Sibicky says any kind of movement will help you lose weight and feel better. She suggests tai chi, walking, gardening or simply trading a walking lawn mower for the ride-on.
  4. Relieving stress. The body’s fight or flight hormones tend to increase the blood sugar levels, so finding ways to combat stress – whether it’s talking to someone, exercising or meditating – is important to counteract its negative effects.
  5. Getting a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep increases the risk for diabetes and pre-diabetes so aim for seven to eight hours a night.

“There is so much we can do with our lifestyle to ensure better health. I tell my patients that my goal is to keep them so healthy they become a burden on their kids!” Sibicky laughs.

Learn more about pre-diabetes and diabetes or schedule an appointment at, BackusHospital.org.