Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. It indicates an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Studies have shown that by making lifestyle changes – losing weight and increasing physical activity – people can prevent or delay prediabetes from progressing to Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food eaten is turned into glucose (sugar) for the body to use for energy. The pancreas, which lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin that helps glucose get into the body’s cells. When you have diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugar to build up in the blood.
There are three main types of diabetes:
Type 1
This type of diabetes can occur at any age, although it most often appears in childhood or during the teen years. With this form of diabetes, the body no longer makes insulin. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin and possibly another injectable medicine; making wise food choices; being physically active; taking aspirin daily, for some; and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Type 2
Formerly called adult-onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes, this type is the most common form of diabetes and can develop at any age, even in childhood. Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the body keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin, but in time, the body cannot produce enough insulin. Being overweight and inactive increases the chance of developing this form of diabetes. Treatment includes using diabetes medicines; making wise food choices; being physically active; taking aspirin daily, for some; and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
Gestational Diabetes
This type of diabetes develops during pregnancy and typically goes away after the baby is born. However, it increases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life for both the mother and the child.