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Diabetes is a growing problem in the modern world. And now, research is showing that early diagnosis of prediabetes is key to prevention of this disease.

 

 

Diabetes seems to be becoming more common lately. Most people seem to think of it as a harmless, if annoying disease. But people who have diabetes will tell you that it’s actually very dangerous. It can cause damage throughout your body and increase your risk of other diseases and health threats. That’s why it’s become one of the conditions that medical practitioners focus on to improve individual and societal health. And according to the latest research, the best way to prevent diabetes is with early diagnosis of prediabetes.

 

What is Prediabetes?

If you have prediabetes, then your blood sugar is higher than normal. This obviously doesn’t mean that a single high reading indicates this condition. Instead, you will need to register several instances of higher than normal blood sugar levels. The difference between diabetes and prediabetes is the actual sugar level. People with prediabetes have high levels but not yet over the level for diabetes. The blood sugar range for these conditions are:

 

• Between 5.6 and 6.9 mmol/L for prediabetes.
• Over 7.0 mmol/L for diabetes.

 

However, there are several factors that can confound these results. That’s why your doctor will probably order extensive testing before you’re diagnosed. Unfortunately, there are usually very few symptoms when you have prediabetes. But this doesn’t mean that it’s harmless. Prediabetes can progress to diabetes, which means you’re at higher risk of stroke, heart disease, blindness, high cholesterol and blood pressure, kidney disease, and amputations. That’s why you need to take action when you have prediabetes to safeguard your long-term health.

 

What Causes Prediabetes?

There is no single cause of diabetes or prediabetes. However, there are several health risk factors that can make you more likely to develop these conditions. These include:

 

• Family history.
• Genetics.
• Excess weight.
• A waist size of over 40 inches for men and 35 for women.
• A sedentary lifestyle.
• Age.
• Race.
• A diet that contains lots of red meat, processed foods, and sugary foods and drinks.
• Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.
• Gestational diabetes.

 

When you have prediabetes, your body doesn’t process sugar properly anymore. The glucose in your body comes from food. It circulates through the body in your blood stream. When your body needs fuel, insulin prompts its movement from the bloodstream and into the cells. When you have prediabetes, this process starts to fail. Your insulin levels aren’t high enough or your body becomes resistant to insulin and resists the process. This causes a buildup of sugar in your bloodstream.

 

The Diagnosis Problem

Early diagnosis of prediabetes is key to the prevention of diabetes. And yet this isn’t always easy. There are several factors that can influence prediabetes detection including:

 

• You may not feel as if you’re sick enough to go to the doctor.
• Some people lack understanding about the severity of this condition.
• Prediabetes isn’t thought of as serious, so doctors can be reluctant to diagnose it.
• Prediabetes doesn’t always advance to diabetes, so interventions can seem premature.

 

These issues can be serious barriers to your health. And they prevent a lot of people from getting the help they need. Prevention is key when it comes to diabetes, which can be life threatening. With dietary and lifestyle changes, you can decrease your chances of moving from prediabetes to diabetes. However, you will only make these changes if you know about the problem in the first place.

 

The Takeaway

With so much confusion and uncertainty surrounding these health risk factors, you need to take control. It’s obviously better if you have a health professional evaluate your risk, but that’s not always possible. So, here are some easy steps you can take to do that:

 

• Make yourself aware of prediabetes and diabetes and the damage it could do to your health.
• Evaluate your health risk factors to determine your risk level including your age, BMI, eating patterns, family history, and waist size.
• Repeat your evaluations on a regular basis.
• If you see signs that you should be concerned, ask your doctor for a blood glucose test.

As you go through this process, don’t be afraid to seek help early. A negative test is far less threatening than a late diagnosis.

 

 

 

 

If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.

 

 

Tags: Health risk, prediabetes, diabetes