“Diabetes” a term everyone has become familiar with and knows very well. But what does the term “Prediabetes” mean? How are they similar or different? Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai will provide advice and ways to prevent the disease.
“Prediabetes” is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet at a level to diagnose as diabetes. Most patients often do not know that they have a risk of prediabetes, which may lead to diabetes in the future and increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and more complications.
- Overweight condition
- Lack of exercise
- Age 45 years and above
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Smoking
- Having hypertension or high blood lipid
- Family history of diabetes
- History of gestational diabetes or having given birth to a baby weighing more than 4 kilograms
- Type 2 Diabetes: Patients with prediabetes increase their risk of developing diabetes by 5-10% per year.
- Abnormal vision due to diabetic retinopathy
- Decreased kidney function (Nephropathy) or the presence of protein leakage in urine
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke more than normal people
- Increased risk of cancer: stomach, intestines, breast, and endometrial lining
- Blood sugar test after fasting for at least 8 hours (Fasting plasma glucose)
- Oral glucose tolerance test
- Average blood glucose level test (HbA1c) which indicates the average blood sugar level over the past 3 months
How to treat prediabetes?
- Maintain a proper weight or lose at least 7% of the initial weight
- Exercise moderately regularly for at least 150 minutes per week or about 20 – 30 minutes a day, such as jogging at a pace where you feel tired but can still speak short sentences
- Reduce consumption of fatty foods
- Quit smoking
- For those where behavior modification is not effective or cannot be done, it is recommended to consult a specialist doctor
