1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes, that means it could be you, your boss or your boss’s boss.

Prediabetes affects 84 million Americans and has lasting health outcomes, but luckily it can be reversed. Learning your risk is the first step to a healthier future. “We want everyone to know that knowledge is power,” states MHP Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, Lisa Schnepp. “It’s very easy to find out if you have prediabetes. And best of all we know there are steps a person can take to either prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes.”

While many people know that type 2 diabetes is a serious health concern, far fewer people know about prediabetes. Prediabetes is a serious but reversible condition that affects 84 million (more than 1 in 3) American adults. That 1 in 3 could be your favorite brother or your “other” brother. And without healthy lifestyle changes, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.

People with prediabetes have higher than normal blood glucose (sugar) levels but not high enough yet to be considered type 2 diabetes. Basically, when you have prediabetes, you’re on the road to developing type 2 diabetes and are also at increased risk for other serious health problems such as stroke and heart disease. Nearly 90 percent of people with prediabetes don’t even know they have it.

But it’s not all bad news. With the right steps, prediabetes can be reversed. The key is to find out whether you’re at risk early on. That’s why MHP will be hosting a Prediabetes Awareness Night on December 11. The Pre-Diabetes Awareness Night will be held at the MHP Medical Center at 6:00 p.m. and will include an informative presentation on pre-diabetes by Schnepp; a free, optional blood sugar screening test to determine if a person has pre-diabetes; and an opportunity to enroll in MHP’s Diabetes Prevention program, a lifestyle change program that is free at MHP and offered for $450 elsewhere.

“It’s so important to take steps to prevent chronic disease. We are so lucky to be able to offer a program of lifestyle change to those people with prediabetes,” says Schnepp.

For more information on the event click here or for more information on prediabetes click here.