An Andalusia physician spoke to Lions Club members Wednesday about pre-diabetes and prevention of the disease.

Dr. Rex Butler said that a lot of people have pre-diabetes and are unaware.

He said men who have a wasit measurement of about 42 inches and women whose waist measurements are higher than 35 inches are prone to pre-diabetes.

“It is treatable,” he said. “It’s not easy, but with diet and exercise, it can be kept under control.”

Butler said his staff has recently begun prescribing Metformin.

Metformin is usually prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, but Butler and company visited a Decatur practice which has begun prescribing the drug to pre-diabetic patients and has seen success.

Butler explained that Metformin helps to lower blood glucose levels by reducing the amount of glucose produced and released by the living, and by increasing insulin sensitivity.

He also recommended 30-60 minutes of exercise at least once every two days, and said that diets such as the Mediterranean and South Beach Diet are helpful for those with diabetes and pre-diabetes.

“Those diets call for cutting out sugars and white starches,” he said.

Butler said that symptoms of pre-diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and blurred vision.

Butler said that risk factors for pre-diabetes include:

• Being overweight;

• Inactive;

• Over 45;

• A family history of diabetes;

• If you’re African American, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic;

• Women who developed gestational diabetes or had a baby that was more than 9 pounds;

• Have polycystic ovary syndrome;

• High blood pressure;

• Your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is below 35 milligrams per deciliter or your triglyceride level is above 250 milligrams per deciliter.