What is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. It is a kind of intermediate condition, it is considered a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

What is prediabetes really?

Blood sugar levels that are between 100 and 127 mg / dL are considered prediabetes. The normal is between 70 and 100 mg / dL, and any value above 127 is considered type 2 diabetes.

Many people have prediabetes, although most do not know it. People who have been diagnosed with the condition have a 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the next five to 10 years. The key is to change eating habits and physical activity.

However, even if you don’t develop diabetes, having prediabetes can increase your risk of heart and kidney disease.

What are your causes?

The biological causes have to do with insulin resistance.

Insulin is the hormone that guides blood sugar molecules (broken down from the food you eat) out of the bloodstream and into cells, where they are used as fuel. In prediabetes and diabetes, your body loses its ability to respond properly to insulin or does not make enough insulin, which means that blood sugar levels build up.

As prediabetes develops, the body struggles more and more to process certain foods. The pancreas must produce higher levels of insulin to extract sugar from the blood and put it into the body’s cells. Eventually, the body will not be able to keep up with insulin needs and blood sugar levels will rise.

No one really knows what causes insulin resistance in the first place, although it appears to be a combination of factors.

1. Family and genetic history : If you have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to develop prediabetes (and type 2 diabetes).
2. Age: the risk of developing prediabetes increases after 45 years.
3. Being overweight or obese : the risk is even higher if the fat is concentrated around the abdomen.
4. Waist Size: Men with waists of more than 101 cm around and women who have waist circumferences of more than 88 cm have a higher risk of insulin resistance, even if your body mass index (BMI) is normal. .
5. Being inactive: Regular exercise is key to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and helps your body to better process sugar and use insulin.
6. Diet : Red and processed meat along with sugary drinks increase the risk of prediabetes. Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and nuts is associated with lower risk.
7. Gestational diabetes : Women with a history of this pregnancy condition are at increased risk for prediabetes and type 2.
8. Race and Ethnicity : African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at higher risk than other groups.
9. Polycystic ovary syndrome : This hormonal disorder in women, commonly known as PCOS, is marked by small cysts on the ovaries.
10. Metabolic syndrome : This condition is marked by high blood pressure combined with abnormal cholesterol levels and a large waist size.
11. Other risk factors : Obstructive sleep apnea and smoking can increase insulin resistance. Certain medications and hormonal disorders may also put you at higher risk.

Prediabetes symptoms

Like the early stages of diabetes, prediabetes generally does not have any symptoms. That’s why about 90 percent of people with the condition don’t even know they have it.

Some people may have warning signs, which may include:

• Acanthosis nigricans, which are patches of dark, velvety skin . These may appear in the neck, armpit, or groin and indicate that the body is struggling to metabolize foods and drinks that raise blood sugar. The spots on the skin can appear in the same areas.
• They feel extra thirsty even though they are drinking a lot of water.
• Frequent urination.
• Feeling hungry all the time, even if you are eating a healthy amount.
• Fatigue.
• Blurred vision is also sometimes a sign.

How is it diagnosed?

Since prediabetes usually doesn’t have any symptoms, it’s important to get screened if you have risk factors,

Experts recommend considering testing in adults who have no symptoms but have a BMI of 25 or more, and one or more risk factors. Testing should begin for all people starting at age 45. If your results are normal, you don’t have to retest for three years.

The same three tests that can diagnose diabetes are also used to diagnose prediabetes.

1. Fasting blood glucose test – This is a blood test that is performed after you have been fasting for eight hours (usually overnight) and drink only water. Prediabetes is when fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg / dL.
2. Hemoglobin test : This test measures blood sugar levels in the past three months. Prediabetes is indicated when its numbers are between 5.75 and 6.4 percent.
3. Oral glucose tolerance test : This test is rarely used. That is partly because it is difficult to do. Blood should be drawn two hours before and after drinking a sugary drink, all after eight hours of fasting. A result greater than 140 means that you are prediabetic, while more than 200 indicates diabetes.

Doctors usually repeat the tests before making a diagnosis of diabetes or prediabetes.

What treatments are there?

Treating prediabetes really means preventing type 2 diabetes, and the sooner it starts, the better. The longer you have any of these conditions, the more likely you are to end up with health complications.

The main goal is not to advance to the point of having type 2 diabetes. Treatments are primarily weight loss and exercise or certain medications.

Lose weight

If you are overweight, losing only 5 to 7 percent of your body weight can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. This will help raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels to healthy levels, and most importantly, some people with loss weight will return to normal blood sugar.

There’s a debate over whether you can really “reverse” prediabetes or even type 2 diabetes, but with the right lifestyle changes, progression can be prevented or indefinitely indefinite.

Change your diet

The best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise, each of which brings its own benefits.

When it comes to diet, there is no one right way to eat if you have prediabetes. However, one place to start is when it’s time for your meals.

Start by reducing the portions of food you are eating at the same time. Instead of eating most of your food for a few hours at night, extend those options further so that the body doesn’t have to process everything at the same time.
You can also decrease portion sizes gradually, drink water instead of sugary drinks, and opt for whole fruit instead of fruit juice.

Green vegetables are a great way to feel full without raising your blood sugar, and eating more whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy is recommended. Foods to avoid include processed, fried, and sugary foods.

Do more exercise

No matter what your weight is, it is important to do more physical activity. We have carried out a regular activity outside of our daily life. As humans, we need to move and stay active to keep processes within the body working properly.

Getting support

Research shows that people who receive support are more likely to achieve their goals. In fact, those with prediabetes who implemented changes encouraged by the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which includes a support component, reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58 percent.

Take medication

There is some controversy over whether or not medications can help people with prediabetes. However, in a study conducted as part of the DPP Outcomes Study, the drug metformin reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 31 percent. Ask your doctor if the medication might be right for you.