A majority of Americans are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and signs that the body is slowly losing its ability to manage blood sugar may appear 10 to 15 years before the problem reaches the point that a physician will take note and start treatment. As a result, few people are aware that they are developing this condition, or how serious it can become, until they face immediate medical intervention.
The Centers for Disease Control, has developed a quick online assessment to evaluate potential risk. For those who score 5 or higher on the assessment, the CDC recommends a “lifestyle change.”
But what does a lifestyle change mean, and how difficult might that change be? A recently published study of more than 100,000 patients over a 25-year period1 found that high levels of cardiovascular fitness substantially reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and other harmful conditions, therefore also reducing risk of death.
According to the study, there is “no limit on the positive effects of aerobic fitness.”2 The study also determined that poor fitness is an equal or greater health risk than smoking.
To learn more about how problems with blood sugar mismanagement can sneak up on you, do the eSavvyHeath Course Get Savvy About Blood Sugar, or get our free eBook: Blood Sugar, An Introduction.
