This disorder affects millions of people but has no symptoms. The majority of persons affected will feel and appear completely normal. However, it is the forerunner to type 2 diabetes, which is one of the leading causes of mortality and disability worldwide.
Prediabetes is characterized by dangerously elevated blood sugar levels that are dangerously close to but not yet in the diabetic range. And it is an issue that no one can afford to disregard.
It is believed that people with prediabetes are ten to fifteen times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Diabetes UK estimates that around 13.5 million people fall into this category, which represents a quarter of all adults in this country. This is why it is estimated that by the end of the decade, one in ten British individuals will have type 2 diabetes, a condition for which the NHS now spends £10 billion annually, or 10% of its whole budget.
It is no longer merely a disease of middle or elderly age. The most recent statistics indicate that 122,000 persons in England under the age of 40 have type 2 diabetes. And these younger patients are significantly more susceptible to negative health consequences. For many, it means a lifetime of medication, and there are no assurances even with treatment. Long-term uncontrolled high blood sugar wreaks havoc on the entire body, increasing the likelihood of blindness, kidney failure, and erectile dysfunction. It prevents wounds from healing properly, resulting in persistent infections and amputations. And those with type 2 diabetes have a significantly increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dementia.
In addition to being a forerunner to complications, prediabetes brings health hazards. According to studies, persons with prediabetic blood sugar levels are more prone to experience heart attacks and strokes than the ordinary person. According to recent studies conducted by specialists at Imperial College London, some suffer harm to the eyes or kidneys. This may be a result of excessive fat rather than elevated blood sugar levels.
Nevertheless, you should avoid both conditions. The good news is that this is not necessary.
It is becoming increasingly evident that it is feasible to prevent future illness by identifying prediabetes and taking preventative measures.
And it doesn’t entail pills, surgery, or expensive therapies — just a few lifestyle adjustments that anyone can make with a little determination.
What exactly is prediabetes, how can you determine whether you have it, and what should you do if you do?
As a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, I have spent decades treating and researching these diseases. And today in The Mail on Sunday, we will present the most recent scientific research on prediabetes and all the information you need to defeat it.
To make this easier, we’ve devised a five-step approach that anyone may follow to combat prediabetes.
You are at greater risk if you are overweight, especially if your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or above. This is widely recognized. The most recent studies reveal, however, that when it comes to prediabetes, it is not merely the amount of body fat that matters, but where it is located.
Some individuals are genetically predisposed to rapidly deposit extra fat in the liver and other organs. This ectopic fat is a significant risk factor. However, as we will see, heredity does not guarantee our fate. Reducing one’s weight or altering one’s diet can have a dramatic effect on elevated blood sugar. It is counsel that many of us can afford to heed.
Even before the Covid epidemic, 63 percent of English citizens were overweight or obese. And the past few years have made matters worse. According to one study, around forty percent of us gained an average of half a stone during the lockdowns.
I emphasize that this is the mean. A patient who had gained three pounds since I last saw him in 2020 visited my office. He no longer commuted and now worked from home. Instead of walking 10,000 steps per day, which burns approximately 400 calories, he was just sitting around. Importantly, he ate the same quantity.
Individuals with prediabetes are, on average, between half a stone and a stone and a half heavier than those with normal blood sugar levels. However, the average person with prediabetes just has to gain a few further pounds to develop diabetes.
And because of this, we have the perfect opportunity to address the issue before it becomes a problem. And it need not be that challenging. Contrary to what you may have heard, experts believe that you do not need to go on a strict diet, consume meal replacement drinks, or eliminate carbohydrates to turn things around.
As an Asian with a family history of diabetes, my risk is significantly elevated.
I do minor things to maintain my weight. I always have a salad with my dinner since it helps me consume fewer carbohydrates and proteins. I have trained myself to stop adding sugar to my tea and to consume only one KitKat finger. It indicates that I savor and appreciate it more. It’s a delight, not something I consume blindly.
Everyone can make a few easy, lasting adjustments. And I am not exaggerating when I say that they can change your life.
My research indicates that individuals with prediabetes can also have hypertension. They may also have high blood levels of triglycerides, which are associated with heart disease.
By preventing these conditions by maintaining a healthy weight, you will live longer and healthier.
Diabetes type 2 is not inevitable. As dangerous as it is, I prefer to view prediabetes as a positive: identifying it provides us the opportunity to take charge and avert the worst.
Read on to see how…
What is prediabetes, and how can you know whether you are one of the thirteen million Americans at risk?
Diabetes doesn’t develop overnight. It begins with ‘communication issues’ in the body’s cells and can take years to have a significant impact on health. And this provides us with ample opportunity to take action.
However, it is essential to comprehend whether you are at risk and how the problem develops.
Prediabetes is the initial stage of type 2 diabetes, characterized by excessively high blood sugar levels; without lifestyle modifications, the full-blown condition is likely to develop. In pre-diabetes, the hormone insulin, which transports sugars from food into the blood, where they are used for energy, does not function as well as it could. Sugar remains in the blood, boosting its concentration to a level over normal but not high enough to induce type 2 diabetes or apparent symptoms.
Which begs the question: how do you know whether you are at risk if there are no symptoms?
The Diabetes UK website (diabetes.co.uk) offers a free online questionnaire that analyses your diabetes risk by considering your family history, ethnicity, weight, and food, among other factors. The test results will indicate whether or not you should be concerned about prediabetes in the near or distant future.
And if it is a cause for concern, your doctor can arrange for a blood test, which we will explain in further detail later.
However, it is necessary to be aware of the most significant elements that may already be placing you in danger. How to determine if your blood sugar levels are likely to reach the danger zone and what to do about it are detailed below.
Check your weight and waist size.
The most significant risk factor for prediabetes is obesity.
According to research, an accumulation of fat around or within the organs might alter the way cells respond to insulin, altering blood sugar regulation. Checking your body mass index, or BMI is an excellent indicator of whether this may occur.
According to studies, persons with a BMI of 30 or higher are up to eighty times more likely to acquire diabetes than those with a BMI of less than 22. On the NHS website, there is a BMI calculator. Anything over 25 is labeled overweight.
The presence of excess fat close to or within organs, such as the liver, is also an excellent signal of diabetes risk. This form of fat, known as ectopic fat, inhibits insulin action dramatically.
Men should have a waist circumference of fewer than 37 inches, while women should aim for a trimmer of 3112 inches.
Consider further cardiac risks
Prediabetes is frequently accompanied by other obesity-related diseases, including high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Today, clinicians frequently diagnose metabolic syndrome in patients with a mix of these conditions. In these instances, it is nearly often due to lifestyle issues such as a poor diet, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activity. This group has the highest chance of suffering a life-threatening stroke or heart attack due to the interplay between all three illnesses.
Cholesterol, which is produced mostly by the liver, is necessary for the proper functioning of body cells.
It is transported throughout the body in bundles called lipoproteins, which are composed of cholesterol, lipids, and proteins. LDL transports cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. There are different types of lipoproteins, but doctors pay the most attention to LDL because it is a proven risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, you could be prescribed medication to lower your risk. Scientists have discovered that having high blood pressure increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by 50%. Approximately 4.3 million Britons have high blood pressure but are unaware of it since there are no symptoms.
You may check yours for free at most local pharmacies or your doctor’s office.
Regular exercise, minimizing salt intake, and consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet are essential measures for lowering blood pressure.
Even skinny people can get prediabetes.
Even if you are at a healthy weight, you are not out of the woods. In actuality, 15% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are not overweight.
The accumulation of fat in the abdomen of thin persons can infiltrate organs such as the liver and pancreatic (where insulin is produced).
This alters how the cells of the body respond to insulin.
Some eminent experts have proposed that everyone has a unique fat threshold – the point at which fat levels begin to activate insulin resistance and impact blood sugar regulation. However, weight is not the only factor that can increase diabetes risk.
Medication is one example. Some medicines cause an increase in blood sugar as a side effect. These include anti-inflammatories called corticosteroids, which are used to treat asthma and arthritis, some diuretics for high blood pressure, beta-blockers to prevent heart attacks, anti-psychotic medications used to treat schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, and even statins. The danger is minimal, and the benefits usually outweigh the risks, so you should consult your doctor before discontinuing these medications.
Gestational diabetes, which occurs when pregnancy promotes insulin resistance, can also affect women with a healthy body mass index, although it is more prevalent in those who are borderline overweight or overweight.
In certain circumstances, blood sugar levels might not return to normal levels after childbirth. Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74 has been asked for a free NHS health check every five years since 2009.
This now includes prediabetes screening, which often requires a blood test to see whether your blood sugars are persistently elevated.
This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to be examined, regardless of weight.
The Covid backlog has impacted routine visits like this in some local locations, so if you are due for a checkup, contact your primary care physician.
Diabetes in the family may be a warning sign.
Some individuals are predisposed due to their ancestry or genetic makeup.
To develop prediabetes in these categories, only a minimal quantity of extra fat is required.
It is believed that South Asians, Middle Easterners, Africans, and Caribbeans are more prone to type 2 diabetes due to how their bodies accumulate and metabolize fat. Those with a mother, father, or brother with type 2 diabetes are up to 200 percent more likely to develop the disease due to hereditary factors.
Numerous genes control where fat is stored in the body and how efficiently sugar from food is taken into circulation. Those who inherit genes that predispose them to acquire the disease typically do so in their forties or earlier, sometimes without being severely overweight.
