If you've gotten the news that you have prediabetes, no doubt you panicked — at least for a minute or two. According to the federal data, one-third of U.S. adults have prediabetes. With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than the threshold for a diabetes diagnosis.
The good news is prediabetes can be reversed by changing your diet (eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy) and getting regular physical activity. For someone diagnosed with prediabetes, weight loss is key. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends weight loss of 5% to 7% (and regular exercise) to lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
There's another reason to take a prediabetes diagnosis seriously. People who reverse their prediabetes may lower their risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to a new study reported by the American Heart Association.
Researchers from Tangshan People's Hospital in a northern province of China (where prevalence of prediabetes is slightly higher than in the U.S.) looked at more than 14,000 employees of a coal company, mostly men, over 11 years. Blood sugar was checked in 2006, 2008 and tracke...