June is Men’s Health Month, a time when men are frequently reminded to make an appointment with their doctor for a yearly checkup. And while you’ve probably added it to your to-do list – you did, didn’t you? There is something you can do now, today, to get a sense of how healthy you are. The best part is you don’t even need to leave your house to do it. All you have to do is take a 1-minute online test to learn if you might have pre-diabetes.
Pre-diabetes is a condition that affects 84 million Americans – or 1 in 3 people – and it means that a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Think of when you play ball with two buddies – chances are one of you has the condition. Men are more likely to have pre-diabetes than women. The good news is it can often be reversed with a healthier diet and more physical activity.
To take the 1-minute test, visit doihaveprediabetes.org. You’ll be asked a few simple questions about your health, such as how active you are, whether you have a family history of diabetes, and how much you weigh. Then the website will tally your points and tell you whether you’re likely to have prediabetes and be at high risk for type 2 diabetes.
Find out what's happening in Southeast-Brewsterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Of course, if you find out you have a high-risk score; you’ll want to make that appointment with your doctor. But for now, just taking the test can let you know where you stand.
If you do have pre-diabetes, your doctor might refer you to a program like Prevent Type 2 at Putnam Independent Living Services (PILS), part of the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention program. At Prevent T2 you can learn ways to lower your chances for getting type 2 diabetes. This free program is proven to help prevent or delay a person with prediabetes progressing to type 2 diabetes. If you have the risk factors for pre-diabetes, you are eligible for this program at PILS.
Find out what's happening in Southeast-Brewsterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The goals of the program include losing 5-7% of your body weight (an amount that can help you prevent type 2) and increasing your activity level. One of the men currently enrolled has lost 15 pounds and plans on losing even more. He’s happy about how he feels and looks forward to walking outside this spring and summer.
If you do one thing this June for Men’s Health Month, take the one-minute prediabetes risk test at doihaveprediabetes.org. And tell a buddy or two to do the same.
To learn more about Prevent T2, visit www.putnamils.org/diabetes-prevention-program/