Prediabetes is the most ‘overlooked’ health condition, which if not reversed in time can raise the risk of diabetes by 70 per cent, said experts on Wednesday.
Prediabetes is a serious condition
that occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough
to be considered Type 2 diabetes.
The condition affects more than 130
million individuals in India and over 700 million people worldwide. Like
diabetes, it can lead to life-threatening complications like a heart attack or
brain stroke.
“Prediabetes puts you at a greater
risk of developing diabetes. If both fasting and post-glucose levels are high,
the risk is the highest. The level of HbA1c determines the risk for diabetes,
with the five-year risk being 50 per cent if the HbA1c is more than 6 per cent,
and 25 per cent if it is between 5.7 and 6 per cent,” Dr Ambrish Mithal, Chairman,
Endocrinology and Diabetes, Max Healthcare, told IANS. The HbA1c test is used
to evaluate a person's level of glucose control.
“The lifetime risk of developing
diabetes if you have prediabetes is 70 per cent or greater,” he added.
Prediabetes can be considered a
warning sign by your body that your insulin levels are significantly rising or
the insulin is not working properly at a cellular level often this is called
“Insulin resistance” and is accompanied by abdominal obesity.
Besides heart-related conditions, it
can also lead to other complications like high blood pressure, kidney diseases,
fatty liver disease, nerve damage, blood vessel damage, and even vision
problems in some cases.
Dr Shashank Joshi, Endocrinologist,
at Lilavati Hospital Mumbai, calls it “a wake-up call from your body that
certain habits are damaging your blood vessels and can lead to complications
like heart attack or brain stroke”.
“If left untreated, it can
negatively impact your overall well-being. Even if you are not diagnosed with
type 2 diabetes, it can still cause serious health issues such as severe damage
to the kidneys, heart, nerves, and blood vessels,” he told IANS.
But can it be stopped in its tracks?
“Yes, it is possible to reverse or
get remission of the onset of prediabetes by early detection and certain
lifestyle adjustments,” said Dr Joshi.
Dr Mithal said, “prediabetes can
also be interpreted as ‘prevent diabetes’”.
“One can reverse prediabetes to normal,
or at least remain in the prediabetes range for a prolonged period of time
without converting to diabetes. Up to 50 per cent cases of Type 2 diabetes can
be prevented or delayed if intervention is introduced at the right time. About
five to seven per cent weight loss goes a long way in improving glucose levels
and reducing associated risks,” he told IANS.
Early detection also plays a key
role in reversing the condition.
“Everyone living in India must check
glucose especially above 25 if they have a family history of diabetes or their
waist circumference is above 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women at least once in
three years till age 40 and then every year. Ideally, both fasting and 2 hours
post-meal glucose must be checked apart from 3 monthly average glucose namely
Glycosylated haemoglobin,” Dr Joshi said.
“If prediabetes is diagnosed, adopt
simple lifestyle measures under expert medical supervision. This includes
eating less, eating on time, eating right, moving or walking more, sleeping
well, and stopping smoking tobacco and alcohol,” the doctor said.
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