Screening for Prediabetes at home or at your PCP office

You’ve probably heard the word before, diabetes. The thought of being diagnosed, or having a loved one diagnosed with diabetes, can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are preventative measures Americans can take, including screening for pre-diabetes. We recently sat down with Integrative Medicine Physician Dr. Preston Arndt, who discussed the correlation between heart disease and diabetes, the importance of screening for pre-diabetes, living a healthy lifestyle, and reasons for the rise of diabetes amongst the younger population. 

Heart Disease and Diabetes 

As Dr. Arndt notes, “diabetes is a major risk factor for getting a heart attack or stroke in your future…if we can prevent progression to diabetes or reverse pre-diabetes, then we might be able to prevent heart attack or stroke.” Inflammation is associated with insulin resistance and is a driver of arterial disease, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Screening for Prediabetes 

With 1 out of 3 Americans being pre-diabetic, it is essential to take your health seriously. As mentioned, catching pre-diabetes early on can significantly lower your chances of heart disease and heart failure. If you suspect you could be pre-diabetic, we suggest getting an A1C test done. A1C tests measure how much blood sugar accumulates in your red blood cells over 90 days. Why 90 days? Your body naturally builds new red blood cells every 90 days as old ones die off. Folks that are more susceptible to being pre-diabetic are those with a first-degree relative that has type 2 diabetes, gets frequent skin infections, or has a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 25. If you or someone you know expresses that they’re not feeling well after eating something you would consider healthy, like a bowl of fruit, it could also be a sign of pre-diabetes. 

Lifestyle Change is Key 

Reversing pre-diabetes and reducing the inflammatory effects of diabetes can be done through lifestyle changes. Dr. Arndt notes that a shift towards a healthy diet and exercise right away is key. “If you prevent inflammation by eating healthy, by exercise, by reducing the fat in your body, you can reverse that insulin resistance when caught early enough.”

Recent research has shown that the longer an individual sits at a certain weight, the harder it will be for their body to do anything about it. There is a theory the thermostat in your body has adjusted to that weight and is more likely to keep you there, regardless of improvements in diet and exercise. Dr. Arndt notes, “if you have been living with an unhealthier lifestyle for years, it will take time to see and feel healing in the body.” However, if done sooner than later, you can see a reduction of inflammation and blood sugar levels at about three months into a lifestyle change.

Dr. Arndt does caution that individuals may feel worse as they embark on their new lifestyle journey, but they are not to be deterred. Fat loss can naturally release toxins into the body, making one feel sluggish and tired. He suggests checking to see if you’re doing well by getting your blood pressure checked. 

The Rise of Insulin Resistance

Some hard truths to swallow about diabetes is that it will not go away on its own, and sadly the US is seeing a rise in diabetes among younger folks. It is projected that 1 out of 2 children born today will get some sort of insulin resistance in their lifetime. Although we don’t exactly know why that is, Dr. Arndt assesses that this increase is due to the higher presence of chemicals in our environment. Eating more refined foods leads to less nutrition present in our bodies. That nutrition is what our body needs to fight inflammation.

There are also industrial chemicals present everywhere, including air pollutants, water pollutants, pollutants present in cosmetics, and soaps and detergents we use, to name the most common. These chemicals block processes that are beneficial to occur in the body. When these processes get blocked, and a cell cannot do its job, it will release inflammatory markers that cause them to be killed off, as mentioned above. 

We’re Here to Help 

At Diagenta, we have you covered. If you or a loved one would like to get tested for pre-diabetes or diabetes, Dr. Arndt can do an A1C test and help you develop a lifestyle plan suited to you. Contact us today to set up an appointment.