As your blood sugars increase out of the normal range, your risk for cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, eye disease, skin issues, dental infections, and kidney damage goes up incrementally.
According to the American Diabetes Association, costs associated with Type 2 diabetes in 2017 was estimated to be $327 billion, with $237 billion of that going to direct medical cost. $90 billion was due to lost productivity. Check out these other facts from the ADA:
- In 2015, they estimated that more than 9 out of every 100 Americans have diabetes
- 25% of seniors (65 and older) have diabetes
- Another 84.1 million Americans have prediabetes
- It is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States
- Another 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with Diabetes each year
Have you been told that you blood sugar is borderline? If so, what did that person tell you to do about it? Just watch it? Give some generic advice about eating better and exercising? Did they check your A1c?
- A conventional blood sugar range is 65-99 mg/dL for fasting blood sugar and A1c is 4.8-5.6. However, if your fasting blood sugar is higher than 85 on fasting, your cardiovascular risk increases progressively.
- My recommended range for fasting blood sugar is 75-85 mg/dL and A1c should be between 4.6-5.3.
- Checking blood sugars throughout the day is a good idea too, so that you can get a good idea how your body is reacting to different foods. Foods that make your blood sugar go up could be completely different than someone else.
If your blood sugars are high or you were told you have Type 2 diabetes, were you evaluated for reasons for this? Did you know that it may not be just because of your diet and not exercising? Here are some possibilities for why you may not be processing your blood sugars correctly:
- Standard American Diet (SAD)
- Lack of activity
- Poor sleep
- Stress
- Toxins
- Imbalanced gut microbiome
Here at Valley Vital Medicine, I believe that Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes are preventable and reversible, especially when we catch it early. If this is a concern of yours, we will evaluate your history, lifestyle, and lab work for the cause. Treatment modalities depend on your specific findings and may include:
- Dietary guidance
- Nutrient replacement as indicated by your lab work
- Fixing your sleep
- Stress management
- Fixing gut imbalances
If your blood sugars are high and haven’t found the answers you are looking for, click here: Work with Trevor (link) and set up your Free Discovery Call to see if we are a good fit.