A new study out of UCLA estimates that 46 percent of adults in California have prediabetes, a precursor to diabetes marked by high blood sugar. The study suggests the risk is even higher in the San Joaquin Valley. In Fresno County, the rate could be as high as 49 percent.
"It's a major issue of health equity," says Harold Goldstein, executive director of UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research and author of the study. "Because folks who're low income and folks within communities of color are much more likely to have diabetes."
The report estimates that about 70 percent of those with prediabetes will develop diabetes within their lifetime—unless they take action.
"The first thing to do is stop drinking these sugary beverages," says Goldstein. "I say this to everybody; this is the way to prevent getting prediabetes as well."
He advocates for better eating, more exercise, and higher state spending on diabetes prevention.
Study: Nearly Half of Valley Adults At Risk for Diabetes
Infographic courtesy of UCLA Center for Health Policy Research Chronic Disease Program
