The CDC’s ‘Undo It’ campaign aims to raise awareness among Americans about prediabetes, encouraging early screening and lifestyle modifications to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes and associated complications.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has begun airing a new campaign urging Americans to recognise prediabetes earlier and act before the condition progresses to type 2 diabetes. The effort, called “Undo It”, is built around a simple message: a prediabetes diagnosis is not inevitable, and lifestyle changes can make a difference.
According to the CDC, more than four in five people with prediabetes do not know they have it, largely because the condition often causes no obvious symptoms. The agency says that makes awareness and screening especially important, because prediabetes can be detected through testing before blood sugar rises to diabetes levels.
The CDC is directing adults to its one-minute online risk test, which asks about factors such as age, weight and family history. People flagged as potentially at risk are being encouraged to follow up with a doctor for a blood test, such as the A1C, which measures average blood sugar over about three months and is used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.
The agency says the next step is modest but sustained lifestyle change, including healthier eating, more physical activity and some weight loss where appropriate. It says those measures can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, while also lowering the risk of complications linked to elevated blood sugar, such as heart disease and stroke.
The latest campaign is part of a longer-running federal push to raise awareness of prediabetes. The CDC launched its first national campaign in 2016 and has continued to expand its public messaging as rates of prediabetes have remained high in the United States.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
