The U.S. Health and Human Services have named this the "silent disease" because there are no early signs and symptoms.  People could have this condition for years and never know they have it.  It is usually found when some one visits their health care provider for a different reason altogether. Learning you have it and what to do about it will lower your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and other serious chronic conditions.

Those who do have pre-diabetes have blood glucose levels higher than normal but not yet high enough to be considered diabetes. In time, this condition will develop into the disease if not treated and monitored. However, if monitored, the disease can even be prevented from ever occurring! It’s true the word diabetes is scary. However, information is your most powerful tool in managing this disease. You will increase your quality in life as well as the quantity of years ahead of you. Knowledge is power! You have the power to learn within you! And you are worth it.

No. It just gives a definition of the state the body is in before diabetes occurs. It’s when your glucose levels are higher then normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

The disease hasn't changed, but what we know about it has. We now know that those people who have pre-diabetes can delay or even prevent completely the onset of diabetes with some simple lifestyle changes. We also know that once recognized and treated, it brings peace of mind and longetivity.

Your health care provider can perform one of two simple tests to determine if you have this condition. You may have heard about them. One, the fasting glucose test is when your physician draws a blood sample from your arm after you have fasted overnight. The second, called the oral glucose tolerance test, is when you have your blood drawn, then are given a glucose rich drink to consume. Your blood is drawn and tested again within 30 minutes to an hour after you drink the glucose rich fluid.

Because this is a serious medical condition that can be treated. About 20 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes.

Absolutely. Most who have it don’t even know it. They do not often have symptoms. Symptoms develop so gradually people do not recognize them.

If you have pre-diabetes you may already be experiencing the adverse health affects of this serious disease and not even know it. These include increased risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

You can prevent losing a foot or a leg later in life. You can reduce, even prevent, having a heart attack. You can reduce, even prevent, blindness. You can increase your quality of life immediately. You can reduce, even prevent, blood clots from forming especially in the lower leg.  These blood clots can be very dangerous. If, in reality, you have pre-diabetes and don’t take steps to treat this condition, it will become very severe later in life.

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss or gain
• Increased fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision (or change in your present vision)

Controlling your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing. Making changes in your diet, thirty minutes of moderate physical activity each day and reducing your body weight 5-10% may even return your blood glucose to the normal range. These are simple changes you can live with!

The Tooele County Health Department recommends you see your health care provider.  Ask about pre-diabetes and about the simple blood test which can diagnose diabetes.

If you are overweight and age 45 or older, you should be tested for pre-diabetes during your next routine medical office visit. If you are overweight and under 45 your doctor may recommend testing if you have other risk factors for diabetes.

It’s true the word diabetes is scary. However, information is your most powerful tool in managing this disease. You will increase your quality in life as well as the quantity of years ahead of you. Knowledge is power! You have the power to learn within you! And you are worth it.