World Prediabetes Day is annually observed across the globe on 14th August. The day aims to create awareness about Prediabetes and to reduce the increasing rate of diabetes. It has been strategically chosen 90 days prior to World Diabetes Day (14th November) since scientifically it takes 90 days to change the lifestyle to reverse Prediabetes and prevent progression to diabetes.
What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as Type 2 (lifestyle induced) diabetes.
Statistics:
In India, nine crore people are living with Prediabetes and without treatment, almost 75 percent of these will go on to develop diabetes within the next 5 years. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, the estimated prevalence of Prediabetes in India is around 14%.
Risk Factors: If you have risk factors for prediabetes, talk to your healthcare provider about getting your blood sugar checked regularly. These prediabetes checks are essential because prediabetes often has no symptoms. You can have it for years and not know it.
You may also be at higher risk of prediabetes due to:
- Age (being 45 or older).
- Parent or sibling with Type 2 diabetes.
- Ethnicity. Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American race or a Pacific Islander.
- Previous gestational diabetes.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Certain medications, such as steroids, certain antipsychotics and some HIV medications.
- Hormonal conditions, including Cushing’s syndrome and acromegaly.
- Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea.
Some risk factors for prediabetes can be modified, meaning you can change them. These include:
- Obesity or carrying extra weight.
- Exercising less than three times a week.
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
- Metabolic syndrome, a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and large waist measurement.
- Smoking.
Symptoms: Many people have no symptoms of prediabetes, often for years. Prediabetes may be invisible until it develops into Type 2 diabetes. Some people with prediabetes may experience:
- Darkened skin in the armpit or back and sides of the neck, called acanthosis nigricans.
- Skin tags, small skin growths.
- Eye changes that can lead to diabetes-related retinopathy.
Diagnosis: To test for prediabetes, your healthcare provider will use a blood test. You may have:
- Fasting plasma glucose test, which tests your blood after you have fasted for eight hours (had nothing to eat or drink except water).
- A1C test, which provides your average blood glucose level over the past two to three months.
You would be diagnosed with prediabetes if:
- Your fasting plasma glucose test is 100 to 125 mg/dL (normal is <100; diabetes is 126 or higher).
- Your HbA1c test is 5.7% to 6.4% mg/dL (normal is < 5.7%); diabetes is 6.5% or higher).
Treatment:
Here prevention is the cure. The same factors which precipitate diabetes also precipitate pre-diabetes. The goal is to get your blood sugar level out of the pre-diabetes range, and keep them that way.
- Get tested: Awareness and early detection are the key to putting a lid on this disorder. It is recommended that those with risk factors like obesity, high work stress, sedentary lifestyle, faulty diet and family history of diabetes must undergo an extensive health check-up at least once a year.
- Check it in time: If left unchecked it usually takes about 5-10 years for a pre-diabetic to become a full blown diabetic. Luckily it is reversible. Pre-diabetes is nothing but a wakeup call – one that needs to be caught in time and then rectified on a war footing.
- Stay near your optimum weight: Losing weight and staying within your BMI range is one of the most important factors when it comes to reducing your risk of getting diabetes. Those in the prediabetes stage are advised to lose at least 7 to 10% of their body weight to halt the disease progression. Any further weight loss is only going to strengthen your chances of diabetes prevention or delay. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist and set a weight loss goal based on your current body weight, existing medical conditions, and dietary habits. Set a reasonable short-term goal that is practical and easy to achieve, such as losing 3-4 kgs a month.
- Ditch the Sedentary Lifestyle & Be More Active: Being more physically active is probably the first advice everyone gets when they want to lead a healthy lifestyle. Staying active, ditching a sedentary lifestyle, and exercising regularly are important for losing weight, lowering blood sugar levels, and boosting insulin sensitivity/resistance that keeps your blood sugar levels within normal range. Multiple physical activities have been proven to improve your body’s insulin resistance and lower down blood sugar levels in prediabetics and diabetics. Some of the most effective exercises to prevent and manage diabetes include aerobics, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), and strength training. If you’re a beginner, start with just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day or an aerobic session with a gradual aim of up to 150 minutes a week.
- Limit Your Carbohydrate Intake: The kind of carbohydrates you consume and the number of carbs have an important and direct effect on your metabolic health along with your probability of getting diabetes. Improving the quality of carbs you consume and limiting the dietary intake of carbs is one of the most important factors to consider when making nutritional choices in your diet. When you consume carbs, your body breaks them down into smaller sugar molecules which then get immersed in your bloodstream. If you keep consuming a high on carb diet, the corresponding rise in your blood sugar pushes your pancreas to produce more insulin which then leads to prediabetes and diabetes inadvertently. Certain food items like sodas, candy, chocolate, desserts, pasta, white bread, and sweetened breakfast cereal are high in added sugars. Limit the intake of such items and switch to carbs that are high in fibre along with non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and mushrooms. Switch to whole grains, oatmeal, and multi-grain options as a healthy alternative and control your blood sugar levels.
- Quit Smoking: Several studies have linked smoking to contribute to multiple health issues like heart disease, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes, and lung and intestinal cancers. While the studies still don’t have a potent conclusion, it is believed to spike insulin resistance and interfere with insulin secretion. Smoking, specifically heavy smoking, is linked to getting an increased risk of diabetes compared to those who are light smokers or don’t smoke at all. Quitting smoking or reducing the number of fags a day has been proven to reduce the risk of diabetes.
To conclude, the best way to treat Prediabetes is through healthy lifestyle changes. Eating a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise can help prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes. Even small changes can significantly lower your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.