About 98 million Americans—a couple of in three—have prediabetes, meaning their blood sugar (glucose) is high on average but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Prediabetes occurs when the body has trouble using glucose for energy because cells change into less attentive to insulin produced by the pancreas, a condition generally known as insulin resistance. (Insulin facilitates the transport of glucose out of the blood and into cells.) Unused glucose accumulates within the bloodstream. The difference between diabetes and pre-diabetes is how high blood sugar levels are.
The big three
Here's a take a look at each of those three conditions and the way they affect individuals with prediabetes.
Heart disease. Research has found that individuals with prediabetes have a 15 percent higher risk of heart disease than individuals who don't have it. That's why it's so vital to concentrate to other heart risk aspects, reminiscent of smoking, blood pressure, and “bad” LDL cholesterol. “People with prediabetes should quit smoking and try to lower their blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels to near normal blood sugar,” says Dr. LeWine.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that individuals with prediabetes have a blood pressure of lower than 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). However, Dr. LeWine recommends that individuals with prediabetes aim for a lower number, closer to 120/80 mmHg. “But you and your doctor can decide what's best for you,” he says.
Guidelines recommend that individuals with prediabetes keep LDL levels below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Dr. LeWine says the lower the LDL, the higher, and recommends that individuals with prediabetes strive for levels of 70 mg/dL or less.
“By lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol, you're less likely to build up fatty plaque in your arteries, which is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and stroke in prediabetes,” says Dr. LeWine. ” He recommends lifestyle changes as your primary approach to managing each blood pressure and cholesterol, adding medication if needed.
Chronic kidney disease. Having pre-diabetes puts extra stress on the kidneys as they work to filter sugar and other wastes from the blood. Over time, it might damage the kidneys. In fact, studies have found that individuals with prediabetes are twice as more likely to develop chronic kidney disease as individuals with normal blood sugar levels, and that risk increases the longer an individual has had prediabetes. It increases.
Fatty liver disease. Prediabetes increases the chance of fatty liver disease—now formally generally known as steatotic liver disease related to metabolic dysfunction—in several ways. Elevated glucose levels may cause the body to convert excess glucose into fat, which accumulates within the liver. Insulin resistance can impair the liver's ability to process and break down fat, resulting in fat accumulation.
Screening for pre-diabetesPrediabetes normally has no symptoms, which is why an estimated 80% of persons are unaware of the disease. Therefore, obese persons are advised to be screened for prediabetes even in the event that they are in good overall health. Most doctors order a blood test for hemoglobin A1c, which provides the common blood sugar level over the past three months. According to the American Diabetes Association, prediabetes is diagnosed with an A1c of 5.7% to six.4%. |
Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes reminiscent of weight reduction, exercise and weight loss program are the most effective ways to administer blood sugar levels and forestall prediabetes from progressing to full-blown diabetes. (Getting enough vitamin D may help.)
“But making healthy lifestyle choices doesn't just help lower blood sugar levels. It also helps reduce your risk of heart disease, kidney damage and fatty liver,” says Dr. Lee. Wine says. “Even if you need medication to reach your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol goals, if you focus on those three areas, you'll need less medication.”
Weight loss. If you're obese, losing 5% to 10% of your current body weight can improve blood pressure and levels of cholesterol. Weight loss, if needed, can be a vital strategy for stopping and treating fatty liver disease, in keeping with Dr. LeWine.
exercise Federal guidelines recommend that everybody get at the least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. “Add two or three hours of resistance exercise each week using free weights, machines, or body weight,” says Dr. LeWine. A mixture of aerobic exercise and resistance training has been linked to raised blood sugar control, reduced risk of heart problems and a healthier liver.
Food. Reduce consumption of foods high in easy carbohydrates, reminiscent of bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, processed foods, and high-sugar beverages reminiscent of fruit juice and soda. These carbohydrates are digested quickly and may cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall rapidly. Replace them with complex carbohydrates, reminiscent of whole grains, beans, green peas and lentils. Also, increase your intake of fiber-rich foods.
“Fiber helps with weight loss by slowing digestion, which helps you feel full between meals and less hungry,” says Dr. LeWine. And by slowing the body's absorption of glucose, it smoothes blood sugar spikes.
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