The IAA One Minute Blog

About one in five teens and one in four young adults in the United States have prediabetes, a study suggests.

Prediabetes in Teens and Young Adults

Prediabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

For the study, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined data on blood sugar levels for 5,786 people ages 12 to 34 who hadn’t been diagnosed with diabetes. Overall, 18 percent of the younger people in the study ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old had prediabetes, as did 24 percent of the adults 19 to 34 years old.

Average blood sugar levels over the course of about three months can be estimated by measuring a form of hemoglobin that binds to glucose in blood known as A1C. Hemoglobin A1C levels of 6.5 percent or above signals diabetes.

Levels between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent are considered elevated, though not yet diabetic, while 5.1 percent or less is considered normal.

Overall, 5.3 percent of teens and eight percent of young adults in the study had levels in the prediabetic range.

Researchers also looked at other things, including insulin resistance, or the body’s failure to respond normally to the hormone insulin.

They also looked at impaired fasting glucose, when blood sugar levels are above a normal range, but not quite high enough to formally diagnose diabetes.

Both teens and young adults in the study who appeared to have prediabetes had higher cholesterol and blood pressure and more fat stored around their midsections, than individuals without pre-diabetes.

The study was published in the journal “JAMA Pediatrics.”       

Stop Prediabetes in its Tracks

After being diagnosed with prediabetes, there are certain lifestyle changes that can be made to help stop it from becoming prediabetes:

1. Move more:  Physical activity is essential in a treatment plan because it lowers blood glucose levels and decreases body fat.
2. Lower your weight: In one study, people who had prediabetes and lost five to seven percent of their body weight cut their chances of getting diabetes by 58 percent.
3. Eat better: Load up on vegetables, add more high-fiber foods into your day, enjoy fruits in moderation, and choose whole grain foods instead of processed grains.
4. Make sleep a priority: Not getting enough sleep regularly makes losing weight harder. A sleep shortfall also makes it harder for your body to use insulin effectively and makes type 2 diabetes more likely.
5. Get support: Losing weight, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly is easier if you have people helping you out, holding you accountable and cheering you on.
6. Choose and commit: Having the right mindset can help. Accept that you won’t do things perfectly every day, but pledge to do your best.  

Approximately 84 million American adults have prediabetes. Of those with prediabetes, 90 percent don’t know they have it.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America wants you and your family to take the time to learn about preventing diabetes. With prediabetes on the rise in teens and young adults, IAA does not want them to become part of the statistic.

Interested in reading more on this topic? Click here and here!