Prediabetes and Stroke

The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of having a stroke. That’s according to research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke.
 The study found that, among people with diabetes, one’s stroke risk increases 3 percent each year, and having diabetes for 10 years or more triples the risk of stroke. That’s why preventing or even delaying diabetes could help reduce the risk of stroke — as well as many other diabetes-related complications.

Almost all people with diabetes first develop prediabetes — blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Even though there are no symptoms associated with prediabetes, research shows that long-term damage to the heart and circulatory system may already be occurring. The only way to know if you have prediabetes is to visit your doctor regularly and have your blood glucose levels monitored.
The good news is that, in most cases, diabetes is completely preventable. You can keep diabetes at bay by managing your weight, eating “close to the garden,” and staying physically active.