Prediabetes: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Several studies have shown that home treatment for prediabetes is the most effective way to treat prediabetes and prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.^{14, 6} Home treatment consists of:

• Controlling your weight.
• Eating a healthy diet.
• Exercising regularly.

Monitor your weight

Most people with prediabetes are overweight (body mass index [BMI] of 25 or greater). If you have a BMI of 25 or higher, losing just 5% to 10% of your body weight may help you prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.¹⁰ A healthy weight helps your body use insulin properly. One recent study showed that losing weight improves insulin resistance in people with prediabetes. The degree of improvement is related to the amount of weight lost.¹¹

For more information on determining your BMI, use the Interactive Tool: Is Your Weight Increasing Your Health Risks?

Eat a balanced diet

If you have prediabetes, you may be able to prevent or delay the disease by eating a balanced diet. Of the three major nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), carbohydrate has the greatest effect on blood sugar.

Limit fat in your diet. Eat foods low in saturated fat and high in soluble fiber. Talk to your doctor about developing a plan for healthy eating.

Planning meals to manage prediabetes often means looking at food in a new way. There are several easy ways to adapt your diet. A registered dietitian can help you make a meal plan that fits your lifestyle. For more information on one type of meal planning, see:

Diabetes: Using a plate format for eating.

Exercise regularly

Experts advise doing either of these things for exercise:¹³

• Do moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more. Moderate activity is equal to a brisk walk, cycling about 10 to 12 miles per hour (mph), sailing, or shooting baskets. You notice your heart beating faster with this kind of activity.
• Do vigorous activity for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week or more. Vigorous activity is equal to jogging, cycling at least 12 mph, cross-country skiing, or playing a basketball game. You breathe rapidly and your heart beats much faster with this kind of activity.

Being active in several chunks of 10 minutes or more throughout the day can count toward the above recommendations. You can choose to do one or both types of activity. Talk to your doctor before you start a fitness program.

Exercise helps control your blood sugar by using glucose for energy during and after activity. Exercise helps your body respond better to insulin and lowers your risk of getting diabetes. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight; lower high cholesterol; raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol; and lower high blood pressure. These benefits also help prevent cardiovascular disease. You may lower your risk of getting diabetes even more by exercising for longer periods of time during each exercise session.

If you do not get regular exercise, talk with your doctor about beginning an exercise program. Lack of regular exercise raises the risk that your blood sugar level will increase from normal to prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. Any type of physical activity may be beneficial, including:^{14, 16, 17}

• Sports or other types of exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming, or biking.
• Household work, such as vacuuming or gardening.
• Work-related activities.

The National Diabetes Education Program's Small Steps Big Rewards program outlines several ways to make minor adjustments to your lifestyle that can have a big impact on preventing type 2 diabetes. These include setting goals for moderate weight loss and exercise and tracking your progress. For more information about this program, visit the National Diabetes Education Program Web site at www.ndep.nih.gov.

If you smoke cigarettes, talk with a doctor about ways to quit. Smoking may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes, and it contributes to early development of diabetes complications.¹⁵ For more information on how to quit, see the topic Quitting Tobacco Use.

Last updated:	August 12, 2008
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Jennifer Hone, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC