February 06, 2020200206

“In the United States, nearly 1 in 4 young adults (24 percent) and close to 1 in 5 adolescents (18 percent) have prediabetes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A CDC official described these numbers as ‘evidence of a growing epidemic.’ Someone with prediabetes has a blood sugar, or glucose, level that is higher than normal but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. But health experts say that some of the damaging effects of diabetes — on the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, for instance — can begin with prediabetes. … Although people with prediabetes often go on to develop full-fledged diabetes, that’s not inevitable. Lifestyle changes — such as more exercise, weight loss and healthier eating — can bring blood sugar levels back to normal.”