Tag: prediabetes

pre diabetes
Can you reverse prediabetes? 
Posted on by Leslie Branon

Prediabetes occurs when your body gradually begins to poorly process glucose (or sugar). It is estimated that more than one in three Americans fall into this category, whether they are aware of it or not. Prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes when the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar continues to decline over time. A definitive type 2 diabetes diagnosis is confirmed following two abnormal fasting blood glucose levels or A1c tests.

At Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology, our team of board-certified endocrinology specialists are experts at treating diabetes in all its forms and stages. According to our endocrinologist Dr. Lucy Esteve, “one of the major risk factors for developing prediabetes is being overweight.”

Other common risk factors for prediabetes are an unhealthy diet, chronic sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, and genetics or a family history of diabetes. 

Typically, prediabetes is completely asymptomatic which is why it is so important to get screened if you have any of the risk factors above. Symptoms suggestive of diabetes include increased thirst or hunger, fatigue, frequent urination, numbness in the hands or feet, and slow-healing wounds. 

According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 70% of people who are diagnosed with prediabetes go on to develop full-blown diabetes. 

This presents the question; can a diagnosis of prediabetes be reversed?

Can prediabetes be reversed? 

Many endocrinologists support that prediabetes can effectively be reversed through dedicated efforts and interventions such as improving diet and exercise. 

“Data has shown that with intensive lifestyle changes, with as little as seven percent weight loss, you are able to reverse diabetes and return your blood sugars to normal,” shares Dr. Esteve. 

What can you do to reverse prediabetes?

Losing weight, by eating healthy and exercising, is the most impactful measure you can take to try and reverse a prediabetes diagnosis. 

Dr. Esteve says that “when we are talking about dietary lifestyle interventions, we are talking about a low calorie, low fat whole food diet that avoids highly processed foods.”

Other things you can do to help in preventing prediabetes from advancing to diabetes include:

  • Staying hydrated (as water helps to maintain healthy glucose levels), and opting for clear, unsweetened beverages as often as possible
  • Reducing stress since stress can trigger the release of cortisol, a hormone that leads to insulin resistance 
  • Limiting alcohol consumption
  • Stop smoking 

How can TD&E help you in reversing your prediabetes?

Texas Diabetes offers our patients comprehensive weight loss management counseling which entails nutrition education, diet and exercise plans as well additional support through FDA-approved weight loss medications as needed. 

Contact Us to Help Manage your Diabetes, Osteoporosis and Thyroid Conditions 

If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists at Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology and discover how our diabetes services  and other endocrinology therapies can help you lead a full and active life, please contact us at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.

reduce prediabetes risk
How to Reduce Your Prediabetes Risk
Posted on by Leslie Branon

Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be clinically diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can have serious side effects including an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. 

There is consistent evidence that shows the relationship between blood glucose and cardiovascular risk extends into the prediabetes range. While there is not as much evidence that shows treating mild hyperglycemia (prediabetes) reduces risk for these complications, treating prediabetes can help prevent or delay diabetes onset and preserve insulin production function.

What is the Data?

It is estimated that 37.3 million people (11.3% of the US population) have type 2 diabetes. However, 96 million people over the age of 18 are estimated to have prediabetes (which is 38% of the adult US population) and 26.4 million people with prediabetes are over the age of 65. Overall, approximately 25% will progress to diabetes over the next 3-5 years.  

Recent Research

A recent study indicated that about 5 percent of people diagnosed with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within a year. Early intervention of lifestyle changes – such as diet and exercise – can help reduce your risk. Dr. Lindsay Harrison recently discussed this research with Healthline, saying, “The benefits of intervention persisted over 10 years after the start of the study. There is evidence that reverting to normal glucose even briefly had a long-term reduction of progression to diabetes. Overall, lifestyle intervention is both effective and cost-effective. Although lifestyle changes have not been shown to reduce morbidity or mortality thus far, lifestyle changes are generally beneficial and do not have adverse effects.”

There have been several other studies in the prediabetes population which show that changes in lifestyle slow the progression to diabetes.  For example, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) found that intensive lifestyle and metformin interventions reduced the cumulative incidence of diabetes by 58 and 31 percent respectively compared to placebo. The study found lifestyle changes to be particularly effective for individuals over age 60, while metformin was more effective in individuals younger than age 60.

Reduce Your Risk

As you can see, lifestyle changes are a big factor in reducing your risk developing type 2 diabetes after being diagnosed with prediabetes. Some steps you can make include:

  • Develop healthy eating habits
  • Incorporate additional exercise into your routine 
  • Quit smoking

If you’re looking to start making some of these lifestyle changes, we can help! Our NextStepMD program is designed to help our patients lose weight, maintain weight loss, and gain better control of their health. Our medically supervised program is for our patients with diabetes, but is also open to patients who have prediabetes or don’t have diabetes at all. Our weight loss strategies include the use of nutrition education, diet and exercise plans as well as FDA-approved weight loss medications if necessary.

If you’d like to learn more about our full range of diabetes services, please call Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology at (512) 458-8400 or request an appointment online.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and check back with us each month as we provide you helpful wellness and health information.