New research shows that delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes can lower heart disease and the risk of death.
The chance of developing type 2 diabetes is influenced by lifestyle choices. People who have been diagnosed as having prediabetes — meaning that they have a higher-than-normal blood sugar level — can make changes to prevent their condition from progressing and becoming full-blown diabetes. Obesity, poor nutrition, and inactivity are some of the most common causes of type 2 diabetes.
Between 2017 and 2020, nearly one out of five American children and teens were considered obese, a significant risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes. The severity of the obesity epidemic among children has even led to expanded BMI charts, as previously reported in The Dallas Express.
The CDC projects that as many as 220,000 people under the age of 20 will develop Type 2 diabetes by 2060 — marking a nearly 700% jump in young Americans suffering from the condition, as previously covered by The Dallas Express.
Medical News Today reports on research out of China that shows the importance of delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Here’s the start of the story:
Type 2 diabetes is a common condition that increases healthcare costs by billions of dollars per year. Developing type 2 diabetes can also contribute to a host of complications, such as vision problems, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and nerve damage.
Researchers study type 2 diabetes to learn more about how to reduce the problems it causes. A study led by Guangwei Li at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital took a look at the effects of postponing the development of type 2 diabetes in people who already had a diagnosis of prediabetes.
The study found that putting off developing type 2 diabetes for at least 4 years can lead to many improvements in the long term, including reducing the risk of death and diabetes-related health complications, such as cardiovascular disease.
The study findings appear in PLOS Medicine.