In the world of diabetes, there are many different terms that are commonly thrown around in normal conversation amongst health professionals.
Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and prediabetes are the labels used for different types of conditions related to blood sugar.
1. Type 1 diabetes is a term reserved for those whose pancreas stops making insulin at levels needed for their body. Those with Type 1 Diabetes are given insulin to try to correct the imbalance in the body.
2. Type 2 diabetes is a type of diabetes whereby blood sugar levels are higher than normal levels; insulin just doesn't get the job done. If extra measures are not taken at this point through diet, exercise or oral medication, the diabetes will continue to worsen, making that person susceptible to diabetes complications of all sorts.
3. Prediabetes is a term that refers to the situation where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not as high as in Type 2 diabetics.
Rates of people being diagnosed with diabetes are increasing worldwide. In fact, there are 57 million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prediabetes... and at least half that many are walking around without the knowledge they are on their way to this condition. Epidemic is not too strong a word to apply to this growing medical crisis
The problem with high blood sugar levels is that the extra sugar in the blood circulates throughout the body and causes damage everywhere it goes. When it gets to the skin, it causes the proteins to clump. Every time a protein clumps, then that protein essentially is disabled. It can't work any more and is really just a skeleton of a protein that just sits there and does nothing at all. In the skin, the more protein clumps you have, the more you look aged.
This happens with every organ in the body when the blood sugar levels are high. And that's why prediabetes is definitely a health issue that needs to be solved.
You would think either you have Type 2 diabetes, or you don't. But it's not quite that simple. Like many health problems, this condition develops slowly over many years. You probably don't notice anything different, the symptoms creep up on you one at a time. But inside your body, changes in how your body produces and uses insulin and sugar are occurring. And it is these changes that are setting you up for problems in the future. This phase is what is referred to as prediabetes.
The amount of sugar in your bloodstream varies throughout the day. Levels are lower prior to eating (fasting) and higher after you have eaten. For people who have prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, daily blood sugar levels look something like this:
Prediabetes... 100 to 125mg/dL (5.5 to 6.9mmol/L)
Type 2 diabetes... 126mg/dL (7mmol/L) or higher
The fasting blood sugar test is usually the preferred test for diagnosing whether or not you have diabetes. A Glucose Challenge Test will be the next step if your levels are in the above range. Levels in the following range confirm a diagnosis of prediabetes or Type 2:
Prediabetes... 140 to 199mg/dL /L (7.8 to 11mmol/L)
Type 2 diabetes... 200mg/dL (11.1mmol/L) or higher
Many people don't take prediabetes seriously but this is the best time for you to take action to reverse the condition and prevent the development of full-blown 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and prediabetes are the labels used for different types of conditions related to blood sugar.
1. Type 1 diabetes is a term reserved for those whose pancreas stops making insulin at levels needed for their body. Those with Type 1 Diabetes are given insulin to try to correct the imbalance in the body.
2. Type 2 diabetes is a type of diabetes whereby blood sugar levels are higher than normal levels; insulin just doesn't get the job done. If extra measures are not taken at this point through diet, exercise or oral medication, the diabetes will continue to worsen, making that person susceptible to diabetes complications of all sorts.
3. Prediabetes is a term that refers to the situation where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not as high as in Type 2 diabetics.
Rates of people being diagnosed with diabetes are increasing worldwide. In fact, there are 57 million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with prediabetes... and at least half that many are walking around without the knowledge they are on their way to this condition. Epidemic is not too strong a word to apply to this growing medical crisis
The problem with high blood sugar levels is that the extra sugar in the blood circulates throughout the body and causes damage everywhere it goes. When it gets to the skin, it causes the proteins to clump. Every time a protein clumps, then that protein essentially is disabled. It can't work any more and is really just a skeleton of a protein that just sits there and does nothing at all. In the skin, the more protein clumps you have, the more you look aged.
This happens with every organ in the body when the blood sugar levels are high. And that's why prediabetes is definitely a health issue that needs to be solved.
You would think either you have Type 2 diabetes, or you don't. But it's not quite that simple. Like many health problems, this condition develops slowly over many years. You probably don't notice anything different, the symptoms creep up on you one at a time. But inside your body, changes in how your body produces and uses insulin and sugar are occurring. And it is these changes that are setting you up for problems in the future. This phase is what is referred to as prediabetes.
The amount of sugar in your bloodstream varies throughout the day. Levels are lower prior to eating (fasting) and higher after you have eaten. For people who have prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, daily blood sugar levels look something like this:
Prediabetes... 100 to 125mg/dL (5.5 to 6.9mmol/L)
Type 2 diabetes... 126mg/dL (7mmol/L) or higher
The fasting blood sugar test is usually the preferred test for diagnosing whether or not you have diabetes. A Glucose Challenge Test will be the next step if your levels are in the above range. Levels in the following range confirm a diagnosis of prediabetes or Type 2:
Prediabetes... 140 to 199mg/dL /L (7.8 to 11mmol/L)
Type 2 diabetes... 200mg/dL (11.1mmol/L) or higher
Many people don't take prediabetes seriously but this is the best time for you to take action to reverse the condition and prevent the development of full-blown 2 diabetes.
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