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If in your environment – fortunately! – no one is sick with diabetes, you still probably heard about such a disease. What about prediabetes? Perhaps only logic tells you what it is.
– Few people know that there is such a precursor condition that, if not properly addressed and without changes in lifestyle, can lead to a dangerous disease – diabetes mellitus, – says Polina Fukalyak, endocrinologist of the medical and diagnostic complex of the Clinic of High Medical Technologies named after. N.I. Pirogov St. Petersburg State University.
Symptoms of prediabetes
Even the term itself – prediabetes – tells us that it is almost like diabetes, but a little “does not hold out.”
Prediabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism that leads to a high risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, this condition is reversible if you take your health seriously and change your lifestyle, explains Dr. Fukalyak. – Pre-diabetes is caused by a quantitative and/or qualitative deficiency of insulin. These conditions include impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) – when blood glucose is higher than normal after a specific test, and impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) – when blood glucose is higher than normal on an empty stomach. In other words, these are conditions in which glucose is above normal values, but below the level established for diabetes.
Are there any specific symptoms? After all, you see, it is better to react to prediabetes in time than later to adjust your lifestyle to the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Alas, as in the case of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes may not make itself felt for a long time.
“The insidiousness of prediabetes is that very often it is asymptomatic for many years and patients miss the chance to normalize their carbohydrate metabolism, because they think: “why check glucose if nothing bothers me ?!”, says our expert. – In rare cases, patients present non-specific complaints of decreased ability to work, increased fatigue, slow wound healing. In most cases, overweight or obesity, arterial hypertension and pathology of the cardiovascular system come to the fore, which can be combined into the term “metabolic syndrome”.
Diagnostics
So how to be? Like any other diagnosis, it is better to entrust it to a specialist. If you suspect that your lifestyle is far from ideal, you consistently linger near the counters with sweets in the supermarket, you persuaded your boss to allow you to work from home so as not to go out again, and the gym membership has long and hopelessly “burned out” – it won’t hurt check blood sugar.
“When diagnosing prediabetes, one cannot do without a blood test and a specific test (glucose tolerance test (PTH) with determination of glucose levels in blood serum on an empty stomach and 2 hours after taking 75 g of glucose), says Polina Fukalyak. – Violation of fasting glycemia (IGN) is diagnosed when fasting blood glucose values (at least 8-12 hours after the last meal) from 6,1 to 6,9 mmol / l. Impaired glucose tolerance is diagnosed at rates of 7,8-11,0 mmol / l after a test with 75 g of glucose diluted in 200-300 ml of water.
Treatment of prediabetes
If you passed the tests and the doctor shakes his head disappointingly – do not despair. It just means it’s time to take matters into your own hands! This is precisely the treatment of prediabetes and the maneuver that leads away from the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
“The first and most important thing is to change your lifestyle. And if you are overweight, then first of all you need to start getting rid of extra pounds! This applies to people of all age groups, – emphasizes the endocrinologist. – When a lot of fat accumulates in our body, it begins to be deposited on the internal organs, this leads to the development of insulin resistance (IR), that is, the body’s sensitivity to the hormone insulin decreases. The combination of obesity, low physical activity, and excessive intake of fats and simple carbohydrates in the body contributes to the development of IR, and here it is – a vicious circle. And this circle must be broken.
Therapies
So, the first thing we talk about treating prediabetes is dietary modification. To lose weight – once, and to normalize blood sugar – two. What is it, you ask, now you order to go on a diet? Not at all.
– Add more vegetables to your dishes, vegetables should be our best friends, because. are rich in micro- and macronutrients, fiber and are a source of natural antioxidants. It is better to leave complex carbohydrates (vegetables, cereals) and do not forget to consume enough protein. Pay attention to breakfast, as insulin sensitivity is poor in the morning, so your breakfast should consist of 50% protein, says Polina Fukalyak.
Even banal physical education, in the case of prediabetes, performs a therapeutic function. And for those who love right off the bat, we note: there is no need to force the body to lift the barbells and run 45-kilometer marathons. The main thing is to give physical activity regularly and gradually increase the duration of classes.
– Preference is given to aerobic exercise: running, cycling, Nordic walking or at least regular walking. It is recommended to start classes with 10-15 minutes a day, and gradually increase them to 45 minutes 3-4 times a week. For example: 45 minutes of intensive walking or Nordic walking, swimming, – gives examples doctor Fukalyak.
Still, if we talk about treatment, it is rarely possible to do without medication. However, according to our expert, only in some cases of prediabetes treatment, doctors are forced to add drugs. A well-balanced diet and physical activity is usually sufficient.
Prevention of prediabetes at home
If everything is in order with your blood sugar, it will not be out of place to remind you about prevention.
– Everything is quite simple. Love yourself and your body! Lead an active lifestyle: walk more, eat right and balanced, watch your weight and play sports, Polina Fukalyak advises. – I also recommend checking blood glucose once a year, more often – only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Popular questions and answers
We asked our expert about prediabetes Polina Fukalyak, endocrinologist.