Diabetes

What exactly is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a serious health condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that are higher than usual but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes affects around 96 million American adults, or more than one-third of the population. More than 80% of people with prediabetes are unaware of their condition. Prediabetes increases your chances of acquiring type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.


What Causes Prediabetes?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that serves as a key to let blood sugar into cells for use as energy. If you have prediabetes, your cells do not react appropriately to insulin. To try to encourage cells to respond, your pancreas produces more insulin. Your pancreas eventually can't keep up, and your blood sugar increases, laying the scene for prediabetes—and, eventually, type 2 diabetes.

The causes of prediabetes are similar to those of diabetes, but at an earlier stage. They mostly consist of:

  • Insulin resistance develops when cells do not react appropriately to insulin.
  • Increasing metabolic disruption as a result of growing hyperglycemia and insulin resistance


Here are the top six causes of prediabetes:

  • Weight- The main risk factor for prediabetes is being overweight. Your cells grow more insulin resistant the more fatty tissue you have, especially inside and between the muscle and skin surrounding your belly.
  • Size of the waist - A big waist size may be a sign of insulin resistance. Men with waists more than 40 inches and women with waists greater than 35 inches are at an increased risk of developing insulin resistance.
  • Diet - Eating red meat, processed meat, and consuming sugar-sweetened drinks are all linked to an increased risk of prediabetes.
  • Family background- Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes raises your chance of developing prediabetes.
  • Gestational diabetes- Both you and your kid are at an increased risk of getting prediabetes if you have gestational diabetes.
  • Syndrome of polycystic ovaries- Prediabetes is more likely in women with this prevalent illness, which is marked by irregular menstrual cycles, excessive hair growth, and obesity.


Prediabetes signs and symptoms

Prediabetes has no obvious signs. Some patients may develop a disorder known as acanthosis nigricans, which is an indication of insulin resistance linked with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). It does not occur in every case of PCOS, but when it does, it results in the formation of dark, thick, and frequently velvety patches of skin, usually around your:

  • Elbows
  • Knees
  • Neck
  • Armpits
  • Knuckles

If you have any of the following risk factors for prediabetes, you should consult your doctor about having your blood sugar checked.

  • Being overweight
  • Having a type 2 diabetes parent, brother, or sibling
  • Being physically active no more than three times each week
  • Have you ever had gestational diabetes (pregnancy diabetes) or given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds?
  • Being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome


How is Prediabetes identified?

For an accurate diagnosis, your doctor will need to request a blood test. This entails extracting a blood sample and sending it to a lab.

Depending on the type of test, the results may differ. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), you should repeat the same test to confirm the diagnosis.

The finger-stick test, which measures glucose levels, is not utilized for diagnosis. 

A1C Hemoglobin test

The hemoglobin A1C test, often known as the A1C test or glycosylated hemoglobin test, determines your average blood sugar level during the previous two to three months. This test does not necessitate fasting and may be performed at any time.

A1C levels ranging from 5.7 to 6.4 percent are indicative of prediabetes. A second A1C test is advised to confirm the findings. The higher your A1C level, the more likely it is that your prediabetes will evolve to type 2 diabetes.


Preventing  Prediabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes

If you have prediabetes, reducing only a few pounds if you're overweight and engaging in regular physical activity can reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. A little amount of weight reduction is around 5% to 7% of your body weight, or 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound individual. Regular physical exercise consists of at least 150 minutes of brisk walking or a comparable activity each week. It just takes 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

A lifestyle modification program offered by the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program can assist you in making such changes—and making them stay. You can reduce your chance of acquiring type 2 diabetes by up to 58% (or 71% if you're over 60) by participating in the program. 

Highlights include:

  • Working with a certified coach to create long-term lifestyle improvements.
  • Learning how to eat healthier and include more physical activity into your daily routine.
  • Learning how to deal with stress, stay motivated, and handle difficulties that might stymie your development.
  • Obtaining help from those who share your aims and problems.

If untreated, prediabetes can lead to a variety of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Fortunately, it is reversible and may be treated by making dietary and lifestyle adjustments.