More than half of the Americans who will be diagnosed with diabetes this year are between ages 45 and 64. When it comes to managing your long-term health, how you act shortly after diagnosis is critical, says Medha N. Munshi, M.D., director of the Geriatric Diabetes Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
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There is plenty of evidence that if you’re in the pre-diabetes range and if you’re eating healthy and exercising, then your chances of developing diabetes decrease significantly — and if you have diabetes, your chances of developing complications decrease. The key is to combine diet modification with exercise. |
Even a 5 to 7 percent weight loss lessens the risk of developing diabetes if you have pre-diabetes. Exercise, though, is critical. If you try to lose weight simply through dieting, then you’re losing not just fat but also muscle, which is unhealthy.
