Maryland – Obesity has been one of the biggest health problems Americans have had to struggle with throughout the years. According to the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) about 34.9% of U.S. adults are categorized as obese. Due to obesity-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, the US Preventive Services Task Force is now suggesting that not only obese but overweight American patients between the ages of 40 and 70 should get their blood sugar levels tested regularly.
They want to warn people that even if they do not show any symptoms of high blood sugar they should still get checked out. The objective of doctors is to improve early detection and control of people who may eventually develop type 2 diabetes.
By discovering abnormal sugar levels at the earliest possible stage, diabetes may be prevented. High-risk patients will be advised to make lifestyle changes such as leading a healthy diet and regular exercise in order to avoid or at least delay the effects of the disease.
Task Force member Dr. Michael P. Pignone of the University of North Carolina explains, “The good news here is that by finding people while they’re still at that abnormal blood sugar range and making lifestyle interventions at that time, we can reduce the burden of diabetes”
These suggestions began in 2008 when trials discovered that lifestyle interventions were very effective in reducing the progress of diabetes and improved the control of cardiovascular risk.
Investigators have emphasized the risks associated because the US is facing a real epidemic of overweight citizens. If no changes are made, they believe that around 15-30 percent of the population might develop type 2 Diabetes within 5 years.
Source: Fox news