What You Need to Know About Prediabetes, and How to Reverse It

As your trusted neighborhood pharmacy, we want to help you understand what prediabetes is, how to recognize the signs, and what you can do today to protect your health for the future.

Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal, but not high enough to be called type 2 diabetes. Many people who have it do not know. The good news is that this stage is an opportunity. Small, steady changes can often bring blood sugar back toward a healthier range.

What is happening in the body

When you eat, your body breaks food down into sugar and releases insulin to move that sugar into your cells. With prediabetes, the cells stop responding to insulin as well as they should. Sugar builds up in the blood. Over time, that can strain the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

Signs and risk factors

Prediabetes often has no symptoms at all, which is why screening matters. Talk with your doctor about a simple blood test if any of these apply to you:

• You are 35 or older.
• You carry extra weight, especially around the waist.
• A parent, brother or sister has type 2 diabetes.
• You are physically active fewer than three days a week.
• You had diabetes during a pregnancy.
• You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Steps you can start today

You do not need a total life overhaul. Choose one or two changes and build from there. Fill half your plate with vegetables. Swap sweet drinks for water. Take a short walk after meals, even ten minutes helps. Aim for steady sleep, since poor sleep affects blood sugar too. If you smoke, ask us about support to quit.

Prediabetes is not a sentence. It is a signal, and it gives you time to act.

Some people are also prescribed medicine to help. If you are, take it as directed and ask us any questions about how it fits with your other medicines.

How your pharmacist can help

Our pharmacist in charge, Dr. Midhasso Foge, is a clinical pharmacist with deep experience in diabetes management. We can review your medicines, explain your numbers in plain language, and help you set realistic goals. We also offer health courses and a metabolic program that can support your efforts alongside your doctor's plan.

Results vary from person to person, and there are no guarantees. What we can promise is real time, real answers, and a team that knows your name.

Try to involve the people you live with, too. Cooking the same healthy meals, walking together after dinner, and keeping fewer sweet snacks in the house makes change easier for everyone. Many families find that once one person starts, others follow. Ask your doctor how often to recheck your blood sugar so you can see how your efforts are going over time.

Have questions about anything in this article? Call us at 661.480.2373 and talk with a CarePoint pharmacist. We are happy to help, and there is never a charge for a conversation.

This article is general education, not medical advice.