Pre diabetes treatment
Introduction
Pre diabetes is a pathology that precedes the diabetes type 2. In prediabetes, the blood sugar level (the level of glucose in the blood) is greater than normal ( hyperglycemia ), but not so high as to authorize the doctor to diagnose diabetes.
To date, the latest guidelines encourage the use of the term glucose intolerance, instead of pre-diabetes, to emphasize the idea that the situation is still reversible; in the article we'll use these two terms for the same condition, although it would be more correct to use only the new terminology.
Each year about 11 percent of patients with prediabetes examined in the Diabetes Prevention Program develop type 2 diabetes on average within three years, while other research shows that many patients with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years .
The term prediabetes is a clear way to explain that the pathology consists of blood glucose level higher than normal; also it indicates that the patient is likely to develop diabetes and probably already suffering the side effects of diabetes. The patient have a higher risk than normal to suffer also of cardiovascular disease, the risk is one and a half times greater than those with a normal blood sugar. Diabetes patients, however, have a risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease twofold to fourfold compared with healthy subjects.
Prediabetes is a silent disease, that the patient may not be aware of being affected of because it has no symptoms.
The good news, however, is that there is a pre diabete treatment which consists in the restriction of calories and fat, exercise and weight loss which can lead to healing prediabetes and thus delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms
As we age, especially if you are overweight, the risk of suffering from glucose intolerance increases. Your doctor should prescribe a blood glucose test if:
you have more than 45 years and you are overweight,
you are under 45, you are overweight and presented other risk factors for diabetes
If, instead, you have more than 45 years and your weight is normal, blood glucose control is optional: you should speak to your doctor anyway.
You are at risk of suffering from diabetes if:
you are overweight ,
do not do physical activity,
you have a parent, brother or sister who suffers from diabetes,
you have had a child who at birth weighed more than 4 kilograms, or have suffered from gestational diabetes,
you suffer from high blood pressure (maximum pressure greater than 140/90 mmHg)
you have the low HDL cholesterol (less than or equal to 35 mg / dl) or high triglycerides (equal to or higher than 250 mg / dl).
Pregnancy
A condition of glucose intolerance during pregnancy exposes more easily the risk of developing gestational diabetes, with dangerous consequences for both mother and child.
Gestational Diabetes
Diagnosis
If you are overweight and have more than 45 years, we strongly recommend you ask your doctor to prescribe tests for prediabetes.
If your weight is normal and you are older than 45, you can ask your doctor if in your case it is appropriate to take the exam.
If you have less than 45 years but you are overweight, your doctor may advise you to take the exams if you present other risk factors:
hypertension,
low HDL cholesterol associated with high triglycerides,
family history of diabetes,
Personal Background of gestational diabetes,
having given birth to a son who at birth weighed more than 4 kilograms,
belonging to an ethnic group at risk as regards the prediabetes.
If your blood sugar is normal, we recommend you take the exams every three years. If you suffer from prediabetes, you should take the exams every year or every two years after diagnosis.
Prediabetes does not cause any symptoms, diagnosis is therefore essential to perform a blood glucose test. The doctor will prescribe one of these two exams:
The examination of the fasting blood glucose will measure blood sugar after a few hours of fasting. It is most effective when performed in the morning, after overnight fasting. The doctor will diagnose glucose intolerance if the value of fasting glucose is between 100 and 125 mg / dl, value above normal but not high enough to be defined as diabetes. A value of fasting blood glucose greater than or equal to 126 mg / dL means that you have diabetes.
The oral glucose tolerance test (load curve) measures the blood sugar level after a prolonged fasting all night and after two hours of taking a liquid sweetened administered by the doctor or laboratory staff. You can diagnose prediabetes if, two hours after drinking the liquid, the blood sugar is between 140 and 199 mg / dl. These glucose values ​​are above normal but not high enough to be defined as diabetes: if they were equal to or higher than 200 mg / dl could diagnose diabetes.
Care and pre diabetes treatment
To return the blood sugar to normal, you can:
decrease calories and amount of fat in the diet,
increase physical activity.
This increases the chances of losing weight. If you are overweight, losing 5 to 7 percent of your weight can be critical to your health; For example, if you weigh 90 kilos, you can try to lose 5 to 7 kilograms.
Decrease calories and fat:
Reduce the portions you are used to,
When dining out, order a smaller portion or share the appetizer,
Choose water or low-calorie beverages, instead of the normal drinks or fruit juices,
Choose the light versions of your favorite food.Check labels to see if calories are decreased proportionally,
Baking, grilled or steamed: use pans and non-stick cookware,
Eat more vegetables and more whole foods.
Increase physical activity
Increasing physical activity is very simple, if you follow these simple tips.
Try taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator,
Park your car not near to the place where you should go,
Find an activity that you enjoy, such as gardening or cycling,
Get used to take a walk a day, up to half an hour's brisk walk five days a week. Alternatively, you divide the 30 minutes into two or three walks lasting less,
Try to do a strength training by lifting light weights several times a day.
Medications
To date there is no approved drug for the treatment of prediabetes. Some drugs appear to be effective to delay the onset of diabetes but they are certainly not as useful as changes to diet, exercise and weight loss.
Prevention
Research has shown that people with prediabetes can prevent or delay the progression of type 2 diabetes up to 58 percent of cases, only changing their lifestyle, such as losing weight or even slightly by exercising regularly. Experts advise those who suffer from prediabetes to lose 5 to 10 percent of its own weight and to do any physical activity of moderate intensity for an hour a day. In some patients acting quickly can even bring down the blood sugar, returning to normal levels.
Do not worry if you can not reach your ideal weight: losing just 5 to 7 kilograms can be crucial!
These pre diabetes treatment strategies have proven equally effective for both men and for women, and especially useful for those over 60.
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The information contained in this article shall not in any way replace the doctor-patient relationship; on the contrary it is recommended to seek the advice of your doctor before you implement any suggestion or indication given.
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