Pre Diabetic State
is a condition when your blood sugar level is higher than it should be but not high enough for your doctor to diagnose diabetes. It’s also called impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.
Treatment for pre diabetes can prevent serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes and subsequent problems with your heart, blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys.
Symptoms
Polydipsia – You’re more thirsty than usual
Polyuria – Increased frequency of urine
You’re a lot more tired than usual
Causes and Risk Factors
Age – especially over age 45
Waist larger than 40 inches for a man and 35 inches for a woman
Eating a lot of red and processed meat
Drinking lots of sugary beverages
Not eating much fruit, veggies, nuts or whole grains
Being overweight, especially if you have extra pounds around your waist
High cholesterol, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol
Sedentary lifestyle – no exercises
Gestational diabetes
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Sleep apnoea or work changing shifts or night shifts
Tests and Diagnosis for Pre-Diabetes
Fasting plasma glucose test
Normal if your blood sugar is less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
Prediabetes if your blood sugar is 100 to 125 mg/dL
Diabetes if your blood sugar is 126 mg/dL or higher
Oral glucose tolerance test
First, you’ll have a fasting plasma glucose test. In the second test, if your blood sugar is less than 140 mg/dL, it’s normal. It’s Prediabetes if your blood sugar is 140 to 199 mg/dL after the second test and Diabetes if your blood sugar is 200 mg/dL or higher after the second test
Hb A1c test
This blood test shows your average blood sugar levels for the past 2 to 3 months.
Normal if it’s 5.6% or less
Prediabetes if it’s 5.7 to 6.4%
Diabetes if it’s 6.5% or above
Complications
Without treatment, prediabetes can become type 2 diabetes and subsequent problems
Kidney disease
Blindness
High blood pressure
Nerve problems (peripheral neuropathy)
Loss of a limb (amputation)
Treatment to Reverse Prediabetes
Eat a healthy diet and lose weight
Exercise – like brisk walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week
Stop smoking
Get your blood pressure and cholesterol under control