Prediabetes- Risk Factors, Symptoms, Prevention & Management

The term “prediabetes” is somewhere widely known, but still, many people does not know exactly what it means or how it may affect their health. The trouble with prediabetes is that most people do not show any symptoms, and thus it becomes hard to find out without a specific test. Nevertheless, prediabetes with no symptoms can become a big health issue if left untreated and can put a person at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

In this blog, we will describe prediabetes, its risk factors and most importantly how to prevent or manage it.

What is Prediabetes?

Prediabetes is considered a health condition when blood sugar or glucose concentrations are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This means that the body struggles with regulating blood sugar levels for a time, but it is just not considered diabetes yet. Prediabetes is typically known to be a forerunner to type 2 diabetes but can be reversed if diagnosed and treated early.

Whenever one eats food, mostly carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, and later the glucose is released into the bloodstream. When the glucose is released into the bloodstream, the pancreas releases into the hormone called insulin. This hormone helps cells take up the dissolved sugar and use it. In patients with prediabetes, the body produces less insulin or the one produced is ineffectively used, thereby causing elevated blood glucose levels.

Over time, high blood sugar in prediabetes results in damage to blood vessels and nerves and eventually serious complications if not treated. However, many prediabetic conditions can delay or prevent progression to type 2 diabetes by adopting healthy lifestyle changes.

Risk Factors of Prediabetes

Anyone can suffer from prediabetes, but it becomes highly risky with certain factors, including but not limited to:

1. Age: As people grow older, the risk of getting prediabetes rises. Adolescent, young, and adult population is on a rising risk of this high blood sugar condition, mainly due to obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

2. Obesity: Being overweight is the most potent risk for developing prediabetes. In particular, abdominal fat prevents the effectiveness of insulin and results in developing resistance against it.

3. Physical Inactivity: Regular exercise can help maintain optimal blood sugar levels and keep insulin sensitivity intact. Therefore, lack of physical activity becomes an obvious risk for weight gain and insulin resistance; both of which can pave the way for prediabetes.

4. Unhealthy Diet: Consumption of highly processed foods, sugar-laden drinks, and unhealthy fats is a contributing factor in the development of prediabetes.

5. Family History of Diabetes: If you have a closed family member, such as a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, your risk of getting prediabetes becomes high as genetics for insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation may come into play.

6. Gestational Diabetes: Women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at an increased risk of developing prediabetes later in life. Their children may also be at an increased risk of getting infected.

Symptoms and Diagnosis of Prediabetes

Often, prediabetes can be labeled a “silent” disease because there are not many visible symptoms associated with it. The majority of people with prediabetes feel completely well and do not have a suspicion that their blood sugar levels are above normal. On the other hand, a few mild symptoms that arise can include excessive craving for water, frequent urination, fatigue, or blurred vision, which are more common characteristics of type 2 diabetes. These symptoms may be minor and not serious enough for the person to seek medical help, which is why regular screening and enrolling in an online prediabetes care program becomes more critical.

Diagnosis can be done only by blood tests that suggest the occurrence of prediabetes. There are several tests used for prediabetes detection:

· Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test: This is a test for blood sugar levels after fasting for at least 8 hours. Fasting blood sugar anywhere from 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) signifies the presence of prediabetes. A level of 126 mg/dL and above means diabetes.

· Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): This test assesses how the body handles sugar after fasting and after ingesting a glucose solution. A blood sugar level of 140 to 199 mg/dL two hours after drinking the glucose solution means prediabetes. A level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes.

· Hemoglobin A1c Test: The A1c test reflects average blood sugar levels over the previous 2 to 3 months. An A1c level from 5.7% to 6.4% is indicative of prediabetes, while an A1c level of 6.5% or above is diagnostic of diabetes.

Easy Tips To Prevent & Manage Prediabetes

With lifestyle modifications, prediabetes is usually reversible or manageable. Early intervention prevents or delays the onset of type 2 diabetes, and with serious efforts, your blood sugar may come back to normal levels. Here are some key strategies to prevent and manage this condition:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining weight in the healthy range goes a long way toward preventing or managing prediabetes. Weight loss of 5-10% from your starting body weight leaves huge effects on insulin sensitivity and blood

sugar levels. Hence, healthy diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains helps both in managing weight and keeping diabetes at bay.

2. Follow an Exercise Routine

Exercise allows the body to use insulin effectively and lowers blood sugar levels. Take out at least half an hour, on most days of the week, to do moderate exercise, such as brisk walking. Exercise also helps in losing weight, enhances the mood, and lowers the risk of getting diabetes.

3. Take Balanced Nutrition

A healthy diet helps in managing prediabetes. Concentrate on consuming nutrient-dense whole foods-such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Limit intake of processed foods and sugary drinks and include foods high in saturated fats in your diet.

4. Monitor Your Blood Sugar

Monitoring blood sugar levels regularly helps track how the body reacts to different foods and activities. To detect the onset of diabetes, get your blood sugar monitored at least once a month.

5. Relieve Chronic Stress

Chronic stress has adverse effects on blood sugar levels and may result in developing insulin resistance. Common stress relieving practices, like deep breathing, holistic stretching through yoga or mindfulness can help reduce tension and avoid the onset of prediabetes.

6. Take A Good Night Sleep

Study shows that bad sleep results in higher susceptibility to developing insulin resistance and prediabetes. Thus it is very important to get at least 7-9 hours of good sleep each night for overall health and proper blood sugar regulation.

Conclusion

Prediabetes is a serious medical condition that makes an individual more prone to becoming a type 2 diabetic as well as increases the risk of heart disease or stroke. It is, however, possible to detect it at an earlier stage and most often change or reverse it with modifications to an individual’s lifestyle.

If you want to avoid prediabetes, without having to go out for doctor consultations, MDChronic brings you personalized prediabetes care programs that are formulated to meet your blood sugar regulation goals, guidance on healthy lifestyle, and help in managing weight to avoid possible risk of being prone of diabetes.

Keep your blood sugar levels in control and say goodbye to the risk of prediabetes! Enroll in MDChronic’s prediabetes program today. Feel free to contact us for more details.