November is American Diabetes Month - PREDIABETES

One in three American adults has prediabetes, but only 10 percent know they have it. Prediabetes is when blood glucose (sugar) level are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes can be viewed as a warning sign from your body to make some lifestyle changes before your health worsens.

Some prediabetes risks can be managed, like physical activity and weight, to help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Other risks, like age and family history, you have no control over. This is why it is important to manage those risks you do have control over.

There are not usually symptoms when you have prediabetes but a simple blood test can confirm if you have prediabetes. Before talking to your healthcare provider about a blood test, a quick and easy risk test is available at https://doihaveprediabetes.org/prediabetes-risk-test.html. It takes less than one minute and provides an instant score of how low or high your risk is and the areas you should pay attention to, to help lower your risk. Risks include: having a family history of diabetes, being over age 40, being overweight, having a history of gestational diabetes and having high blood pressure.

If you do find out you have prediabetes, the good news is that prediabetes can often be reversed by making lifestyle changes. If you do not make any changes, prediabetes can develop into type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Losing 5-7 percent of your body weight, can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Learning about which foods are better choices than others is a good start. Many resources about reversing or preventing diabetes are available at diabetes.org, attending a prevention program or by calling the Chouteau County Extension Office.

The sooner you start making changes, the better chance you have of preventing type 2 diabetes. Keep in the mind, the changes can happen slowly—ease them into your life until they feel normal. This will help the changes become permanent and fit into your life.

Watch for our upcoming diabetes education program series to begin in January. The Chouteau County Extension Office is partnering with Big Sandy Medical Center, with support from Mountain-Pacific Quality Health.

Follow us on Facebook @ChouteauCountyExtension to keep up to date on what is happening in Chouteau County Extension and 4-H.

Additional information is available by contacting Janell at the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3036, janellb@montana.edu or in the Chouteau County Courthouse at 1308 Franklin St in Fort Benton.

Montana State University, US Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.