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UOG Horizons: Knowledge for Life - An evidence-based approach to preventing Type 2 diabetes
UOG Horizons: Knowledge for Life - An evidence-based approach to preventing Type 2 diabetes
UOG Horizons: Knowledge for Life - An evidence-based approach to preventing Type 2 diabetes
3/7/2025
Guam, like much of the United States, continues to grapple with high and increasing rates of diabetes and obesity. Guam’s prevalence for developing diabetes has risen from 8.6% in 2011 to 19.1% in 2021, according to World Bank Group. Guam is also among the top 20 states and territories for obesity — which has a direct correlation to Type 2 diabetes — with a prevalence of 35% to 40% of the population.
An even higher number of people on island likely have prediabetes — and may or may not know it unless they’ve had bloodwork done. Prediabetes simply means a person’s blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, in which the body is no longer making enough insulin to move sugar out of the blood and into body cells. Consistently high blood sugar can damage the body’s organs, in particular the eyes, kidneys, nerves and feet. Someone with prediabetes could develop Type 2 diabetes within five years if no lifestyle changes are made.