Interview: Mary Lynn Fager talks pre-diabetes risk factors
LOWVILLE- "You do not want to become diabetic," says Mary Lynn Fager.
She is a Lewis County Public Health Specialist and has become an advocate for diabetes prevention awareness. What is diabetes? According to Fager and to the CDC, diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
In a nutshell, the CDC says your body breaks down most of the food you eat into sugar (glucose) and releases it into your bloodstream. When your blood sugar goes up, it signals your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin acts like a key to let the blood sugar into your body’s cells for use as energy.
However with diabetes, your body doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it as well as it should.
When there isn’t enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream. Over time, that can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
"You don't want to be that person who first loses a toe, then loses their foot and pretty soon they are in the hospital and moving up into the leg," Fager emphasized.
"It's a really scary thing. I just wish that more people realized how important it is to catch it while it is pre-diabetes and while it is manageable and while you can do something about it."
Listen to our latest on-air coverage with Mary Lynn Fager for more of her remarks:
What is pre-diabetes? Health officials say it's is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have pre-diabetes. Of those with pre-diabetes, more than 80% don’t know they have it.
Pre-diabetes puts you at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
The CDC offers a pre-diabetes test, which provides an idea of how much risk you are at becoming diabetic.
Lewis County Public Health serves as a resource for information. If you ever have questions about diabetes or any other health related concerns, reach out and call 315-376-5453.
Image via Lewis County Public Health.
