Before one develops Type 2 diabetes, they will almost always develop pre-diabetes. This may be referred to as "borderline diabetes," which means that your blood sugar levels are higher than what is considered normal, but not so high that you can be diagnosed -- or treated -- for actual diabetes. Pre-diabetes may also be referred to as Impaired Glucose Tolerance or Impaired Fasting Glucose.
Pre-diabetes is more common than you may realize, with 54 million people affected in the United States alone. Aside from the fact that pre-diabetes leads to full-blown diabetes, a serious concern with pre-diabetes is that it starts doing the damage that diabetes typically does to the body -- but earlier. This includes damaging the heart and the circulatory system.
The good news is that while pre-diabetes is an indication that diabetes is developing, you can avoid actually developing full-blown diabetes, if you take preventative measures. These measures usually include eating healthy and losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight. Of course,
physical activity is also important. You should be getting exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
In most cases, insurance will cover pre-diabetes testing. However, since a diagnosis of diabetes is not given, they may not cover testing supplies that you need in order to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Each insurance company, of course, is different, and you will need to contact your insurance carrier for more information.
Usually, only people who are over the age of 45 are tested for pre-diabetes, and they are usually overweight. However, if you are under the age of 45, you should also be tested. Testing may be needed if you have a family history of diabetes as well, or if you have other health conditions that often contribute to diabetes. Testing should be done about once every three years if any of these circumstances apply. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you should be tested for diabetes every year.
Pre-diabetes is more common than you may realize, with 54 million people affected in the United States alone. Aside from the fact that pre-diabetes leads to full-blown diabetes, a serious concern with pre-diabetes is that it starts doing the damage that diabetes typically does to the body -- but earlier. This includes damaging the heart and the circulatory system.
The good news is that while pre-diabetes is an indication that diabetes is developing, you can avoid actually developing full-blown diabetes, if you take preventative measures. These measures usually include eating healthy and losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight. Of course,
physical activity is also important. You should be getting exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
In most cases, insurance will cover pre-diabetes testing. However, since a diagnosis of diabetes is not given, they may not cover testing supplies that you need in order to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Each insurance company, of course, is different, and you will need to contact your insurance carrier for more information.
Usually, only people who are over the age of 45 are tested for pre-diabetes, and they are usually overweight. However, if you are under the age of 45, you should also be tested. Testing may be needed if you have a family history of diabetes as well, or if you have other health conditions that often contribute to diabetes. Testing should be done about once every three years if any of these circumstances apply. If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you should be tested for diabetes every year.
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