Rob Kardashian, 28-year-old reality television star seen on ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’, has been diagnosed with diabetes after being rushed to the hospital for feeling ill. This is news to him and the family, as they were unaware he was diabetic. As seen on the reality show, Rob has gained a significant amount of weight over the last few years and has been battling with depression. As a result, he has removed himself from the public eye and no longer appears on the show with his sisters and mother.

Sources say that Rob is not taking his condition seriously. His family is reportedly trying to arrange an intervention in which he has yet to comply with. While this news is sad for Rob and his family, it is a good example of how diabetes can sneak up on you. Many people are unaware they are even at risk for diabetes, and therefore need to be more aware. It is likely that Rob had prediabetes for some time, but simply did not know. If he had known, he may have been able to reverse the condition before being diagnosed with diabetes.

Having prediabetes means that you are on the road to developing diabetes. With prediabetes, your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but still below the threshold for having full blown type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes usually develops into diabetes within ten years or less. By taking action to get checked for prediabetes, you can potentially prevent a diabetes diagnosis. This is extremely important because diabetes brings numerous complications and can lead to other serious health conditions such as heart disease.

How can you tell if you have prediabetes? It can be difficult as prediabetes often has no signs or symptoms. Some people may develop a condition called acanthosis nigricans, where certain areas of their skin become darker than others, such as the neck, armpits, elbows, knees and knuckles. Symptoms usually begin to show once you have developed diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and blurred vision.

If you think you may be at risk for diabetes, you should have a hemoglobin A1C test. A hemoglobin A1C test is a simple blood test that measures your average blood sugar level. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates that you have diabetes. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicates prediabetes. Below 5.7 is considered normal. Other tests your doctor may do to test for diabetes are a random blood sugar test, a fasting blood sugar test, or an oral glucose tolerance test.

Risk factors for diabetes:

·       Being overweight or obese

·       Getting little to no physical exercise

·       Having a family history of diabetes

·       Age (can develop at any age, but risk of type 2 diabetes goes up with age, especially after age 45)

·       Being African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian-American

·       Having high blood pressure

·       Polycystic ovarian syndrome

·       Gestational diabetes

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, there are ways to take control of the condition early. This includes making healthy lifestyle changes such as eating healthy foods, getting more physical exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight. All of these things can help lower your blood sugar level and bring it back to normal, warding off diabetes. See your doctor to get tested and if diagnosed, they can help you create a plan to manage your condition.