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One in three Americans has prediabetes and doesn’t know it. If untreated, the condition can lead to type 2 diabetes, which can wreak havoc on the body.

The good news is that type 2 diabetes can be prevented if you make a few lifestyle changes, which is easier said than done.

That’s where Johns Hopkins comes in. Its Diabetes Prevention Program, led by people trained by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), is a “year-long lifestyle change program,” explained Megan Brown, program director.

“We’ve had really good results,” Brown said. “The thing that’s most appealing are the [content and skills] we cover,” which include nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress and eating habits.

How it works

People 18 to 80 who have prediabetes are eligible for the program. If they call or email Hopkins, one of Brown’s team members will contact them to complete a short screening questionnaire.

Once enrolled, participants will join a weekly one-hour class with around 15 to 18 other people. They’ll meet either at a community center or church in Baltimore City or remotely via computer. For the second six months of the program, they take a class every other week.

The classes are taught by a CDC-trained Lifestyle Coach, who work with participants to make small changes in one’s diet or activity levels.

“It’s really a problem-solving program on how to incorporate healthy everyday behavior into their lifestyles,” Brown said.

Medicare and Medicaid cover the cost of the national program.

The end goal of the program is to lose 5% to 7% of your body weight and increase your activity to an average of 150 minutes a week, per CDC guidelines. Either one of those adjustments can cut the risk of developing diabetes and its degenerative complications.

“Preventing type 2 diabetes also prevents increased risk of blindness, amputation, kidney disease” and other diseases, Brown pointed out.

“Diabetes affects almost every organ in the body. So, preventing that [should] protect you from getting other secondary health conditions.”

To apply for the program, email the Diabetes Prevention Program at brancaticenter@jhmi.edu or call (410) 614-2701.