Wake up to prediabetes
In Tom Cruise's 2013 Jack Harper movie, "Oblivion," it's hard to know who was less hip to what was going on: Earth's beleaguered inhabitants or their supposed controllers. Kinda like what's happening right here in the U.S.A. Turns out that more than a third of the country's population has prediabetes, and they're often oblivious to it. That's in part because their doctors are not inclined to follow guidelines about testing for the condition or, if they do identify someone with the condition, they often fail to provide treatment or even make suggestions for lifestyle modifications! Oblivion is trumping common sense.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine looked at a sample of folks 45 and up who'd received an A1C test (it reveals your average blood glucose level). Forty percent of women and 36.5 percent of men had prediabetes (defined as an A1C of 5.7 percent to 6.4 percent). But when the researchers looked at the study group's medical records, they found that "three-fourths of those with prediabetes were not provided with an appropriate treatment plan." Yikes!
That means, like Jack Harper, you've got to face reality and save your world. If you're overweight, ask your doc for a screening test; make sure you get the results; and if your A1C is between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent, INSIST on getting lifestyle and treatment recommendations. Losing just 5 percent of your weight can ease or reverse the condition, and taking metformin and a statin may save you from diabetes and heart disease.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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