If you didn’t know this until today, you’re not alone, because most people living with prediabetes don’t even know it! In honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, let us shed a little light on this not-so-well-known topic
So, what is Pre-Diabetes?
A person has prediabetes if the sugar level in their blood is higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetes.
Insulin is a hormone that takes sugar out of the blood and puts it in our tissues (like our muscles) where it is used for energy.
In prediabetes, the body can’t use insulin as well as it normally does, and so more sugar than normal stays in the blood after we eat. This makes the level of sugar in the blood high. In prediabetes, the sugar is higher than normal, but not as high as in diabetes.
Is prediabetes dangerous?
It can be. People with prediabetes have a higher risk of getting diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, than people with normal blood sugar levels.
So, on one hand, prediabetes is bad, BUT on the other hand, it’s an opportunity!
Why?
It’s an opportunity, because prediabetes is reversible. Eating healthier foods and exercising every day can reverse prediabetes.
How will I know if I have prediabetes?
Good question. Most people with prediabetes don’t know they have it, and that’s because, most of the time, there are no symptoms. You can only know you have prediabetes if you do a blood test. This is why doing an annual check-up with your doctor is so important.
You have prediabetes if your:
1. HBA1c blood result between 5.7% and 6.4%
2. Fasting blood sugar (blood sugar level after fasting overnight) between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl OR between 5.6 and 6.9 mmol/L
3. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is between 140 and 199 mg/dL OR between 7.8 and 11.0 mmol/L
What can you do today?
Do your check-ups once a year with your doctor. Prevention is better than cure. And, you can only know if you have prediabetes if you do a blood test.
Remember, prediabetes is not great, but it’s reversible! So, let’s try to catch it before it becomes diabetes. Do your check-up, your doctor is always willing and ready to help.
Dr Rachel Thwaites-Williams is a Family Physician and Public Health Specialist.