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Do you have pre-diabetes and not know it?
Almost 100 million Americans ages 18 and older have a diagnosis of prediabetes but about 80% of them don’t know they have it. Prediabetes is defined as having a HbA1c of 5.7-6.4% or having a fasting blood sugar between 100-125 mg/dL. Without intervention, many individuals with prediabetes will go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. A recent study found that individuals following a low carb diet (defined as less than 40 grams of net carbs) were able to reduce their HbA1c values as well as fasting glucose.1 If prediabetes develops into type 2 diabetes, there can be many negative health effects including heart attack, stroke, loss of feeling in extremities (neuropathy), blindness, kidney failure, and even cancer.
Diabetes and prediabetes are called lifestyle disease because they are directly linked with lifestyle choices. As a naturopathic physician, I work with patients not only to treat these conditions, but to help patients prevent the development of these conditions. I like to tell people that I have a lot of tools in my toolbox, meaning that I have many options for treatment for patients because everyone is an individual and what works for some patients doesn’t always work for others. As a general rule, I utilize a mix of dietary interventions, exercise recommendations, supplements to support healthy blood sugar levels, and reduction of stress.
It's never too late to work on reversing prediabetes/diabetes or to prevent the development of these conditions because you will be healthier long term and less likely to develop other chronic conditions directly related to blood sugar control problems. If you're interested in learning more, reach out directly through my website or give me a call so we can set up an appointment to help you on your journey to wellness.