This Valentine’s Day, many will say “I love you” with flowers, candy, or a romantic dinner together. But there’s another way you can say “I love you” – by making your health and your heart a priority. Show your family how much you love them by taking steps now to protect your health and your heart so you can spend quality time with them for years to come.
Are You At Risk?
Take time this Valentine’s Day to ask your doctor if you have prediabetes, which puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes. One in three American adults has prediabetes, a condition where a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Some populations are more at risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. For example, 1.7% of non-Hispanic blacks have diabetes compared to just 7.5% of non-Hispanic whites. Your doctor can tell you for sure whether you have prediabetes or not.
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes can also lead to problems with your heart. Your heart is pretty amazing – with each beat, it pumps oxygen-rich blood to every cell in your body. When something goes wrong with your heart, it’s a big deal for your health. February is American Heart Month, so now is the perfect time to take care of it.
Put Your Health First
If you find out that you have prediabetes or have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, there is something you can do to take care of your health and your heart. Change Your Lifestyle. Change Your Life. (CYL2), part of CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, offers a proven lifestyle change program that can help you learn the skills you need to eat better, become more physically active, and manage stress – all to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In the program, you will work in a group with a trained lifestyle coach to learn the skills you need to make lasting changes.
This February show your family love in a new way – by putting your health and your heart first. Ask your doctor about prediabetes and learn more about CYL2 to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Take our short quiz to see if you are at risk at http://bit.ly/CYL2TWC.