Type 2 Diabetes - 5 Things You May Not Know

Here are 5 things you should but may not know about type 2 diabetes:

1. There is a "warning" stage called pre diabetes that usually develops before you get full blown diabetes.

Millions of people are living with pre diabetes but don't know it. Diabetes caught in this stage is often reversible. Unfortunately, many people won't catch the disease in this stage because there are often no symptoms. If they have pre diabetes and continue on with their normal ways of living, they will likely get type 2 diabetes.

2. More people in the USA will be diagnosed with diabetes over this next decade than ever before.

Aging, a high carbohydrate diet, and a lack of exercise are major risk factors for diabetes. America and the rest of the western world have a deadly combination of these three risk factors.

3. Diabetes and pre diabetes are extremely simple to test for.

Any time you get blood work done you can be checked for diabetes. A common test for diabetes is just to measure a person's fasting blood sugar level. If your blood sugar is above a certain point, you have diabetes, if it is just below, you have pre diabetes. Ask your doctor where you lie in that spectrum.

4. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Having high blood sugar for a long time causes major wear and tear on the heart, veins, and arteries. A weakened circulatory system can easily lead to lethal heart attacks and/or stroke.

5. Diabetes is often preventable through diet and exercise alone.

Getting on a diabetes prevention diet and a good exercise program can greatly decrease your chances of developing diabetes. Sometimes, diabetes is even reversible through these methods, especially if caught in the early stages. Maintaining a healthy body weight is also very important. Body fat, especially around the mid section is another major risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

To learn how to prevent diabetes through diet, read: Diabetes prevention diet.