On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the Britannia club has issued eight risk factors for developing prediabetes, which are the same as those for diabetes.
Diabetes is a health condition which affects many of us and is often caused by not caring for your body properly through poor diet and a lack of exercise. In addition, prediabetes is a health condition where the blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. Most people with prediabetes (as much as 85%) are not aware that they have the condition.
The risk factors include:
- Family history – having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
- Age – risk increases after the age of 45 years
- Being overweight- the more fatty tissue (subcutaneous and visceral) you have, the more resistant the cells become to insulin
- Waist size – insulin resistance goes up with waists larger than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women
- Diet – eating a diet with lots of red meat, processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages
- Being inactive – being physically active less than 3x/week
- Smoking – can increase insulin resistance
- Obstructive sleep apnoea- a condition where sleep is repeatedly disrupted.
According to the club, healthy lifestyle choices are the key to preventing prediabetes. Always to remember, that prediabetes is preventable.
