Prediabetes is a condition when people have higher blood sugar than normal, but are not high enough yet for a diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes can be diagnosed with a fasting plasma glucose test (100 to 125 mg/dL), oral glucose tolerance test (140 to 199 mg/dL) and Hemoglobin A1c test (5.7 to 6.4%). There are also many other diabetes-related complications that surface during the prediabetes stage. Prediabetes puts the patient at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Dr Arjun Baidya, Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata, said, “It is important to know that the patient could have prediabetes and still have no symptoms. However, there are several risk factors that could help to recognize the advent of prediabetes. Some of them are: (1) Being overweight, (2) Being 35 years or older, (3) Having a family history of type 2 diabetes, (4) Having a sedentary lifestyle, (5) Previous history of GDM in women.”
To manage Prediabetes, the patients should eat healthy foods, be more active, lose excess weight, stop smoking and take medications as needed. Healthy choices of lifestyle can help manage the condition of prediabetes or at least keep it from rising toward the levels seen in type 2 diabetes. If one is diagnosed with prediabetes, he/she should follow a treatment plan and make changes to the lifestyle through food choices and physical activity. The best time to prevent type 2 diabetes is now, said Dr Arjun Baidya.
