What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a metabolic condition where the blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be classified as diabetes. When this condition is not diagnosed or treated in time, it can develop into type 2 diabetes – which is treatable but not reversible! Type 2 diabetes is a disease where the body loses the ability to manage sugar levels. It develops over time, while type 1 diabetes can develop randomly and quickly.
What are the symptoms of prediabetes?
This condition usually develops gradually, without any warning signs or symptoms. Affected people only becomes aware of this condition when the symptoms of type 2 diabetes starts to appear, for example increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision and darkened skin on certain parts of the body.
What are the dangers associated with prediabetes?
When prediabetes is not identified and treated in time, it develops in full blown type 2 diabetes. Persistent high levels of blood sugar can cause arterial blockages, resulting in strokes and heart attacks, and can also cause nerve damage. In people with diabetes this combination of arterial blockages and nerve damage can result in dead tissue and is the reason why people with diabetes can end up with amputations. Diabetes is the major cause of kidney failure and also impairs the functioning of the body’s white blood cells – negatively impacting the body’s immune system.
Who are at risk?
It is advisable to get tested for prediabetes if you:
- Are overweight or obese.
- Have a large waist size – it can be an indicator of insulin resistance.
- Have dietary patterns with lots of red meat, processed foods and a high sugar intake.
- Have a family history of diabetes.
- Have high blood pressure.
- Have low HDL cholesterol.
- Have high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood).
- Are getting on in years – the risk of prediabetes increases after age 45.
- Are inactive. (Physical activity uses up glucose as energy and makes the cells more sensitive to insulin.)
- Are skinny, but inactive. Inactivity increases the risk of prediabetes, regardless of your weight. Weight does not always indicate metabolic health.
- Have sleep disorders, which may increase the risk of insulin resistance.
How to test for prediabetes?
People with prediabetes do not process sugar properly anymore, resulting in sugar accumulating in the bloodstream:
- Sugar enters the bloodstream when food is digested and requires the hormone insulin to move from the bloodstream to the body’s cells, where it fuels the cells.
- The pancreas secretes insulin into the bloodstream when you eat and as it circulates, it allows sugar to enter the cells, reducing the amount of sugar in the bloodstream.
- As the blood sugar levels drop, less insulin is secreted from the pancreas.
- When prediabetes develops, this process does not work properly anymore, allowing sugar levels to build up in the bloodstream.
Your doctor can easily test your blood sugar levels with one or more of the following tests:
- A fasting plasma glucose test – measuring the level of glucose in the blood after a period of fasting.
- An HbA1c test – red blood cells in the blood stream are made up of a molecule called haemoglobin, which joins up with glucose to form the chemical called HbA1c. This blood test shows the average levels of blood glucose over the past 8 – 12 weeks, as red blood cells live for 8 – 12 weeks before they are replaced.
- An oral glucose tolerance screening test – measuring the level of glucose in the blood following a glucose-rich drink.
What is the treatment for prediabetes?
Early identification of prediabetes means it can be reversed, preventing this condition to develop into type 2 diabetes. (As indicated earlier, type 2 diabetes cannot be reversed.)
Treatment mainly consists of adapting your lifestyle – changes to your diet and increased levels of physical activity (exercise). Studies have shown that intensive lifestyle (diet and exercise) modification yielded significantly better results than standard lifestyle modification plus medication.
Increased levels of physical activity should include less sitting time. Long hours spent sitting down can increase the risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, as it increases aging at the cellular level.
Dietary changes includes limiting the total sugar intake to 15 grams (one teaspoon) per day, including those hidden in food items as fructose or glucose. Read the labels on food and drinks!
Follow a proven lifestyle based diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.
Sources:
Prediabetes. Symptoms and causes. The Mayo Clinic. www.mayoclinic.org
What is prediabetes and why does it matter? Blog published online on 25 January 2017. Harvard Medical School. www.health.harvard.edu.blog
Prediabetes (borderline diabetis). Diabetes organization. www.diabetis.co.uk.
One-third of slim American adults have prediabetes. Published 17 February 2017 by Dr. Mercola. www.drmercola.com
What is HbA1c? The Diabetic Retinopathy Organization. www.diabeticretinopath.org.uk
