What is pre diabetes?
Before diabetes especially Type 2 develops, first there are symptoms of pre diabetes. This can also be referred to a 'borderline diabetes' or 'impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose'. This means that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes and not high enough to be treated.
Pre diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and besides being the pre runner of full blown diabetes it has the ability to do more damage to the heart and circulatory system than diabetes does. Yet there are ways to determine if diabetes is developing and in doing so can prevent diabetes taking hold. Preventative measures include a pre diabetes diet and losing between 5% to 7% body weight. Exercise plays a vital role too and should encompass 30 minutes a day five days a week.
It is not usual for people under the age of 45 to be tested for pre diabetes, yet if you are overweight it is a good idea or if you have a history of diabetes in the family. There are also other health conditions that can contribute to diabetes. Testing should be done about every three years but if you have been diagnosed with pre diabetes you should be tested annually.
Symptoms
It is a sad fact that most people don't know they have pre diabetes until they are dangerously close to diabetes. Pre diabetes symptoms include an elevated blood sugar level higher than normal.
Most people don't show symptoms of pre diabetes though, but it is scientifically known that apart from elevated blood sugar levels unusual thirst, extreme tiredness, frequent urination and blurred vision can be telling signs.
For your doctor to determine whether or not you have pre diabetes he or she will conduct two different tests. One is called the 'fasting plasma glucose test' and the other is the 'oral glucose test'. Fasting glucose test or FPG can only be tested after total abstention of food or drink other than water, for a period of 8 hours. If your levels are abnormal after this fast, then it means your body is not able to metabolize glucose correctly.
The oral glucose test measures your response to sugar and is conducted only after the FPG test has been done. A glucose solution is administered orally and after a period of about 2 hours blood sugar levels are tested. Normal levels are less than 140mg/dL while levels between this amount and 199mg/dL suggest pre diabetes. If your levels are higher than 200mg/dL you may already have developed full blown diabetes.
Who should be tested?
If you are overweight with a body mass index over 25
If you have a family history of diabetes
If you are over the age of 45
If you fall in to high risk ethnic groups which are Native Americans, Africans, Pacific Islanders or Latinos
If you have given birth to a baby weighing in excess of 9 lbs
If you have had gestational diabetes
If you have previous had an abnormal blood sugar reading
If you have high cholesterol, hypertension or high triglycerides or
If you lead a sedentary life
Pre diabetes is a warning sign
Medical practitioners use the term pre diabetes to explain the warning signs of diabetes yet also explain it as being an impaired tolerance of glucose which is found in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
It is a misconception that because you have a family history of diabetes that you will develop it yourself. Everyone's behavior, lifestyle and habits differ which means it can be prevented. Diabetes is not a gene. The key is in prevention rather than reaction. Changing eating and lifestyle habits is not easy and it is for this reason that many blame hereditary factors.
Early symptoms such as pre diabetes although alarming can be misleading. It is possible to suffer from extreme thirst, excessive fatigue and frequent urination without being at risk of diabetes as these symptoms also relate to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However prevention Is better than cure. If you exhibiting symptoms it makes sense to have them checked out. In doing so you will either put your mind at rest or be given the opportunity of changing your lifestyle before full blown diabetes takes hold.
Before diabetes especially Type 2 develops, first there are symptoms of pre diabetes. This can also be referred to a 'borderline diabetes' or 'impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose'. This means that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes and not high enough to be treated.
Pre diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and besides being the pre runner of full blown diabetes it has the ability to do more damage to the heart and circulatory system than diabetes does. Yet there are ways to determine if diabetes is developing and in doing so can prevent diabetes taking hold. Preventative measures include a pre diabetes diet and losing between 5% to 7% body weight. Exercise plays a vital role too and should encompass 30 minutes a day five days a week.
It is not usual for people under the age of 45 to be tested for pre diabetes, yet if you are overweight it is a good idea or if you have a history of diabetes in the family. There are also other health conditions that can contribute to diabetes. Testing should be done about every three years but if you have been diagnosed with pre diabetes you should be tested annually.
Symptoms
It is a sad fact that most people don't know they have pre diabetes until they are dangerously close to diabetes. Pre diabetes symptoms include an elevated blood sugar level higher than normal.
Most people don't show symptoms of pre diabetes though, but it is scientifically known that apart from elevated blood sugar levels unusual thirst, extreme tiredness, frequent urination and blurred vision can be telling signs.
For your doctor to determine whether or not you have pre diabetes he or she will conduct two different tests. One is called the 'fasting plasma glucose test' and the other is the 'oral glucose test'. Fasting glucose test or FPG can only be tested after total abstention of food or drink other than water, for a period of 8 hours. If your levels are abnormal after this fast, then it means your body is not able to metabolize glucose correctly.
The oral glucose test measures your response to sugar and is conducted only after the FPG test has been done. A glucose solution is administered orally and after a period of about 2 hours blood sugar levels are tested. Normal levels are less than 140mg/dL while levels between this amount and 199mg/dL suggest pre diabetes. If your levels are higher than 200mg/dL you may already have developed full blown diabetes.
Who should be tested?
If you are overweight with a body mass index over 25
If you have a family history of diabetes
If you are over the age of 45
If you fall in to high risk ethnic groups which are Native Americans, Africans, Pacific Islanders or Latinos
If you have given birth to a baby weighing in excess of 9 lbs
If you have had gestational diabetes
If you have previous had an abnormal blood sugar reading
If you have high cholesterol, hypertension or high triglycerides or
If you lead a sedentary life
Pre diabetes is a warning sign
Medical practitioners use the term pre diabetes to explain the warning signs of diabetes yet also explain it as being an impaired tolerance of glucose which is found in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
It is a misconception that because you have a family history of diabetes that you will develop it yourself. Everyone's behavior, lifestyle and habits differ which means it can be prevented. Diabetes is not a gene. The key is in prevention rather than reaction. Changing eating and lifestyle habits is not easy and it is for this reason that many blame hereditary factors.
Early symptoms such as pre diabetes although alarming can be misleading. It is possible to suffer from extreme thirst, excessive fatigue and frequent urination without being at risk of diabetes as these symptoms also relate to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However prevention Is better than cure. If you exhibiting symptoms it makes sense to have them checked out. In doing so you will either put your mind at rest or be given the opportunity of changing your lifestyle before full blown diabetes takes hold.
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