Prediabetes – diabetescare

Prediabetes

Prediabetes as the name indicates is a condition before diabetes which means that you will be having higher glucose levels but not as much to be diagnosed with diabetes. It also means that you are at “borderline” of developing Diabetes.

Prediabetes is normally without any symptoms if you are experiencing below mentioned symptoms it means you have already developed Type 2 diabetes, so beware of the risk factors

Signs and Symptoms to look out for

Frequent Urination
Loss of Weight
Intense thirst
Increase Hunger
Itching in genital areas
Slow healing of wounds
Blurred Vision
Dry Skin

The exact cause of prediabetes is unknown. But family history and genetics appear to play an important role. What is clear is that people with prediabetes don’t process sugar (glucose) properly anymore.

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With early detection and simple lifestyle changes (like diet and exercise), prediabetes is often reversible. As an added bonus, the changes made to reverse prediabetes and prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes can also improve other aspects of your overall health.

Risk Factors

According to a recent survey 13.6 million people are at increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. In Type 2 Diabetes there is impaired insulin release or insulin resistance that is why the blood glucose levels keep on rising. The onset is usually slow, over the age of 40 the symptoms become prominent.

That’s why the risk factors play a key role:

You are at increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes if you are already suffering from Blood pressure
If you are white and above 40 or you are African, Caribbean, Black African or South Asia (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) and above 25 then you are at increased risk of developing diabetes.
You are 2 to 6 times more likely to get Type 2 Diabetes if your parents are suffering from diabetes
If you are overweight, then you are at increased risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes.
Eating red and processed meat predisposes you to higher risk of developing diabetes

Diagnosing Prediabetes

The most precise test for diagnosing a prediabetes is checking your HbA1c levels which gives you a measure of average blood sugar for the last 3 months. It should be below 5.7%, a level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes and a level of 6.5% or more indicates diabetes.