
Healthy eating and being physically active can make a big difference. If you have prediabetes, there are things you can do to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes and having a heart attack or stroke.

Millions of older Americans have “prediabetes.” This means their glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Also, people with type 2 diabetes may be at greater risk for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s important to manage diabetes because, over time, it can cause serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, and nerve damage that may lead to amputation. Women with a history of gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy) also have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.ĭiabetes can affect many parts of your body. Your chance of getting type 2 diabetes is higher if you are overweight, inactive, or have a family history of diabetes. It occurs most often in middle-aged and older adults, but it can also affect children.

Our bodies turn a lot of the food we eat into sugar, called glucose, which gives us energy. If you already have diabetes, there are steps you can take to manage the condition and prevent diabetes-related health problems. The good news is that you can take steps to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, which is the most common form of the disease to develop in older adults.

People get diabetes when their blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Diabetes is a serious disease, and it affects many older adults.
