One in three American adults has prediabetes. In addition to lifestyle changes, the PREVENT T2 Program, offered at The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, is a CDC accredited program to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes, and more than 84 percent of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it and aren’t aware of the long-term risks to their health. The key is to be aware of your risk factors and make lifestyle changes that reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. A unique program offered at The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (CBMC) can help.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is when an individual’s blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes if it’s not treated.
How common is prediabetes?
One in three American adults has prediabetes—that’s more than 90 million people.
What are the risk factors for prediabetes?
Risk factors for the disease include being overweight, 45 years or older, having an immediate relative with type 2 diabetes, physical inactivity, having had gestational diabetes, having polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and belonging to certain race and ethnicity groups. If you have any of these risk factors, ask your doctor about getting your blood sugar tested.
What are the symptoms of prediabetes?
There usually aren’t any physical symptoms of prediabetes. Even if you’re not high-risk based on the above criteria, you can see if you’re at risk by taking an online quiz at doihaveprediabetes.org/take-the-risktest/#/. If so, talk to your doctor about your options.
Can type 2 diabetes actually be prevented?
Short answer: in many cases, yes. With small, impactful changes, you can start preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Longer answer: The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center offers the PREVENT T2 Program. Prevent T2 Program, a yearlong program recognized by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and offered by The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention, can help participants with prediabetes reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
Under the guidance of registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators, sessions at The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center are designed to help you lose weight, eat healthy, be more physically active and manage stress. Since The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention began offering the Prevent T2 program in 2018, participants have:
- lost a total of 1,272 pounds or 5.6 percent of their body weight
- averaged 239 minutes of physical activity per week
- seen an average reduction in HbA1c (the hemoglobin test that measures your blood sugar) of 0.2 percent, which approximates to a 58 percent risk reduction of developing diabetes The Center for Diabetes Wellness and Prevention is one of only three programs in New Jersey to have received CDC Full Plus Recognition, a designation reserved for programs that have effectively delivered a quality, evidence-based program that meets CDC recognition standards.
Learn more about this year-long program and see if you are eligible to participate.