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Pre diabetes: what is really going on here?
Pre diabetes is like the prerequisite to type 2 diabetes; this is the stage before people are diagnosed with the disease. Despite this sounding a bit grim and despite the fact that most of these people who are in this stage will go on to develop diabetes within 10 years, there is still an upside to it all.
This upside is shown in emerging evidence from past accounts, which suggest that although a person is in this stage of the disease, that with a dramatic change to their lifestyles, there is still a chance that they will not develop full-blown diabetes and this is when or not they use medication.
Pre diabetes is tested for in the same way that people with diabetes are tested and that is by measuring their blood sugar levels. The blood glucose levels of a person in this stage tend to be much higher than normal, but still below the diabetes classification levels and without proper management these blood glucose levels will rise.
Pre diabetes tests
The American Diabetes Association has recommended two tests to determine the glucose levels of a person in this stage of the disease. The first test is the Fasting Plasma Glucose test or FPG and the other is the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test or OGTT.
As the names suggest, the FPG test is taken after 8 hours of fasting and the OGTT is taken after drinking a special glucose mixture and after 8 hours of fasting. Pre diabetes is often classified as impaired fasting glucose or IFG and Impaired Glucose Tolerance or IGT.
If a person's FPG is between 100mg / dl and 126mg / dl or their OGTT is between 140mg / dl and 200mg / dl, then these indications would suggest that the person is in the Pre diabetes stage.
However, if the person's blood sugar levels are more than the above mentioned ranges, then they are considered to be in the normal range. However, a person with glucose levels that are closer to the lower range of pre diabetes should not take it lightly, as there is scope for it to rise later.
Being in the pre diabetes range does not only increase the chances of diabetes, but also increases the chances of other health related problems as well. Glucose levels in this range are an indication that cardiovascular disease is likely in the future, but to a much lesser amount than diabetes would indicate.
Pre diabetes healthy change
Also people in this stage have a likelihood of developing a diabetic eye disease that is known to cause blindness; This is known as retinopathy and it is much more likely for these people.
An expert panel of doctors and scientist who are currently considering new data on cardiovascular disease and retinopathy are suggesting that pre diabetes appears to be a less severe form of diabetes, than a unique or separate entity or condition outside of diabetes.
People who are in the pre diabetes stage need to make healthy lifestyle choices, which will help bring their blood sugar levels to normal. This will also have the effect of keeping the levels from rising to high and eventually reaching the levels of type 2 diabetes.
The American College of Endocrinology has for a long time proposed a number of guidelines to help treat these symptoms. These include suggestions for eating healthy foods low in fat and calories, but high in fiber.
They also recommend getting more physical exercise for about 30 to 60 minutes a day for at least five days a week, while also losing some extra weight of around 5 to 10 per cent of your weight if you are overweight. Also the taking of medications are an option only when they are prescribed for pre diabetes by your Doctor.
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Source by Michael Bourne
