What are the warning signs of prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition that develops a person before contracting type 2 diabetes. It is also known as impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance. It basically means that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered a sign of diabetes.

During the prediabetes phase, the pancreas still produces enough insulin in response to ingested carbohydrates. However, insulin is less effective in removing sugar from the bloodstream, so the blood sugar level is still high. A condition called insulin resistance.
 

 
If you have signs of prediabetes, you should know that you are not the only one. There are millions of people in the world who suffer from this condition, and the occurrence usually occurs after the age of 18.

Having prediabetes does not mean that you will eventually develop diabetes. However, it is a warning of what may be to come.

People with prediabetes have a seven times higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people with normal blood sugar levels.


 
Those changes will increase if you don't make a healthy change to your diet or lifestyle.

Early Warning Signs

A person with insulin resistance in the early stage can develop type 2 diabetes if time passes without addressing the problem. Only 10% of people with insulin resistance know they have prediabetes because many do not have any symptoms.

Risk Factors For Prediabetes

Any of the following are risk factors  that can increase your chances of developing prediabetes:

Being overweight or obese
Have high blood pressure
Have high cholesterol
Lack of physical activity (sedentary lifestyle)
Direct relatives with type 2 diabetes
Delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
How to Find Out You Have Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a silent disease, so it is important periodic health checks performed for early detection. If you suspect that you may have prediabetes, talk to your doctor about your concerns.

If your doctor sees signs that you may have prediabetes, they will most likely direct you to take a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).


 
HbA1c is an indicator of your blood sugar patterns over the past two to three months, so this test is often the best basis for diagnosis when compared to a single fasting blood glucose test.

An HbA1c level between 5.7 and 6.4% indicates prediabetes.

Possible Complications of Prediabetes

High blood glucose levels, if not treated in time, can affect other systems in your body, leaving you vulnerable to a variety of health risks, including chronic conditions. For example, uncontrolled prediabetes can cause you:

Sight loss
Nerve damage
Kidney damage
Cardiovascular disease

The high levels of insulin that accompany insulin resistance can cause additional problems.
A research study called the Diabetes Prevention Program found how lifestyle changes could help prevent diabetes. What they found should give people at risk of diabetes a lot of hope.

With only moderate weight loss and a little exercise each day, study participants reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58% in three years.


 
The power of healthy foods and the habit of exercising can't be overstated either. Take control of your health by focusing on simple lifestyle changes, including diet.

1. Eat healthy foods

A good choice will be whole foods and complex carbohydrates like beans, grains, and starchy vegetables.

Skip simple sugars, such as those found in baked and processed products. These sugars can raise blood sugar and are not part of healthy nutrition.

For help with your nutrition and meal planning to help prevent diabetes, make an appointment with a diabetes dietitian.

You can also find great tips on diabetes-friendly food at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) .

2. Stay Active

Physical activity is part of a healthy life. Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.Any activity that keeps you active is good, even walking.

3. Lose Weight

If you are overweight, losing is crucial to reducing your risks. A healthier diet and increased level of physical activity should help you achieve this goal.

4. Medications

If you have prediabetes, your doctor may even prescribe medications to help increase insulin sensitivity and keep blood glucose levels under control. Medicines such as metformin (Glumetza, Glucophage, Fortamet, Riomet).

Always remember to consult with your doctor who will be in charge of prescribing the medicine.

It's time to start
Wait no more, today is the day! Any diet and lifestyle changes will give you the opportunity and advantage to anticipate and prevent diabetes. While avoiding any possible complications that uncontrolled diabetes causes.

While it is true that discovering an early diagnosis can be disturbing, it is better to know it early; And this does not necessarily mean that you will develop diabetes.

With healthy eating and a good lifestyle, the progression to diabetes can be reversed and stopped.source (1)

 

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