What Are the Risk Factors of Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is when your body has a higher-than-normal blood sugar level but is not yet high enough to be categorized as type 2 diabetes. 

Being prediabetic is a serious condition and can lead to long-term damage to your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Fortunately, with healthy sustainable decisions, such as eating healthy foods, making exercise part of your daily routine, and increasing your water intake, the chances of having prediabetes can significantly decrease.

With this in mind, let’s go over three of the most common risk factors of prediabetes so that you can be aware of what they are and know what you can do to address them.

Factors That Increase Your Chance of Prediabetes

1. Age

Even though prediabetes can develop at any age, experts say that the risk increases after 45 years of age, mostly due to a decrease in inactivity and loss of muscle mass.

What You Can Do

If you are close or past 45 years of age, paying extra attention to the choices you make surrounding your health is something to strongly consider. You should also try to stay active; walking or swimming are excellent forms of exercise to keep yourself moving. 

Additionally, taking vitamins and fueling your body with the right nutrients can be very beneficial. Making healthy conscious decisions will improve your health and lower your chances of getting prediabetes.

2. Diet

Diet plays a major role when it comes to your overall health. According to the World Health Organization, a healthy diet protects you against various non-communicable diseases. Thus, if you regularly consume excess carbohydrates, sweetened drinks, and foods, you can impair insulin sensitivity over time.

What You Can Do

If you are unsure of how to eat healthier, you can simply start by making small changes to your diet. Instead of ordering a soda when you go out to eat, order water with lemon. Rather than eating candy or chocolate as a snack, eat an apple or orange. Your body will feel more refreshed and satisfied.

3.Weight

The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or have obesity.

What You Can Do

One of the best things you can do when overweight or to prevent becoming overweight is to consume less processed and sugary foods. It’s important to focus on the quality of your food rather than on what’s easiest to consume. 

You can also focus on eating plenty of dietary fiber, which will, in turn, help regulate your body’s use of sugars by helping keep hunger and blood sugar levels in check.

UNIDOS CONTRA LA DIABETES IS HERE FOR THE COMMUNITY

If you have any questions or concerns regarding prediabetes and what you can do to decrease your chances of getting it, reach out to Unidos Contra La Diabetes. We will be more than happy to assist you.

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