Pre-diabetes – symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

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Pre-diabetes is a disorder that should not be ignored because it increases the risk of developing diabetes. The diagnosis of the diabetic state is largely based on the glucose load test, while the treatment is based on the introduction of some hard rules in nutrition and physical activity. How is pre-diabetes diagnosed?

What is pre-diabetes?

Briefly speaking, pre-diabetes is a disorder of blood glucose levels that, if ignored, can lead to diabetes. Pre-diabetes is the last signal to change your eating habits and introduce physical activity into your daily routine. It is worth mentioning that without diagnostic tests, the patient is not able to determine that he has developed pre-diabetes. Therefore, it is worthwhile to undergo periodic tests, and in the case of disturbing symptoms, conduct tests for glucose level disorders in the body.

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Pre-diabetes – causes

It can be concluded that the causes of pre-diabetes are the same as the causes of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the most frequently indicated are:

  1. improper diet rich in simple sugars and animal fats;
  2. overweight and obesity;
  3. hypertension;
  4. Polycystic ovary syndrome;
  5. previous gestational diabetes;
  6. giving birth to a child weighing more than 4 kilograms;
  7. little or no physical activity;
  8. genetic factors – the so-called genetic burden, if any of the family members of the diagnosed person also suffered from diabetes, the risk of developing the disease increases significantly.

Pre-diabetes – symptoms

In the early stages of pre-diabetes, it is difficult to detect any symptoms. The only reliable information can be obtained as a result of diagnostic tests. The following symptoms should convince the patient to perform such tests:

  1. excessive sleepiness;
  2. chronic fatigue;
  3. sudden vision problems;
  4. frequent urination;
  5. increasing appetite and feeling thirsty.

Pre-diabetes – examination and norms

In order to diagnose pre-diabetes, a glucose load test should be performed, it is based on the finding of abnormalities in the OGTT. Pre-diabetes is diagnosed in people who have abnormal fasting blood sugar and impaired glucose tolerance. The glucose load test standards are distributed as follows:

Fasting glucose (8-4 hours after last meal):

  1. 70-99 mg / dl – a healthy person;
  2. at or above 126 mg / dL – type 2 diabetes mellitus;
  3. 100-125 mg / dl – abnormal fasting blood glucose.

Results in the OGTT load test after 120 minutes:

  1. below 140 mg / dl – a healthy person
  2. over 200 mg / dl – type 2 diabetes;
  3. from 140 to 199 mg / dl – impaired glucose tolerance.

Pre-diabetes – treatment methods

Patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes are most often recommended to change their diet and plan their physical activity. However, not in all cases, lifestyle changes will improve health. Pharmacological treatment is implemented in people with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One of the medications that a diabetologist can prescribe is metformin. In many cases, the use of metformin normalizes glycemia and completes pharmacological therapy after a specified date.

In changing the diet, first of all, it is worth taking into account the abandonment of simple sugars, which are most often found in sweets. However, you can reduce your sugar intake without giving up your favorite sweets. Try, for example, Organic dark chocolate 62% cocoa with almonds Torras 150g.

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