Do You Have Pre-diabetes?

What is Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is when blood glucose levels are high, but not high enough to be considered Type 2 diabetes.  People that have pre-diabetes are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, but it does not mean that they will develop Type 2 diabetes.  Yes, pre-diabetes is the same as Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Impaired Fasting Glucose.  About 11 percent of people who were tested for pre-diabetes developed Type 2 within the three year mark of retesting, and there were other cases of people developing Type 2 diabetes within 10 years.  The best way to ensure that you will not develop Type 2 diabetes is by losing at least seven percent of your body weight through proper diet and exercise.  

                         

How Do They Test for Pre-diabetes, and Should You Be Tested?

Doctors will perform a few tests to see if you have pre-diabetes.  One test is a fasting plasma glucose test that requires you to not eat overnight.  A person with a pre-diabetes will have blood glucose levels between 100 and 125 mg/dl.  Another test is called an oral glucose tolerance test, which also requires not eating overnight.  This test is done after fasting and again two hours after consuming a glucose-filled drink.  The pre-diabetes blood glucose levels after drinking the sugary drink should be between 140 and 199 mg/dl.  

The last test that can be performed is the A1C test, which measures the amount of glucose in the system for the past three months because glucose sticks to the red blood cells for the duration of the cell’s life.  A person with pre-diabetes will have blood glucose levels between 5.7 and 6.4 percent.

You should get tested for pre-diabetes if you are overweight and 45 years old and older.  If you are 45 and not overweight, ask your doctor if you should be tested.  A history of diabetes in the family is also a good reason to be checked.  If you are tested and your numbers come back normal then you should be checked every three years, but if you are in the pre-diabetes stage then you should be checked once a year.  Also, if you are in the pre-diabetes stage, you should have your cholesterol and triglycerides checked just to be safe. 

Symptoms of Pre-Diabetes

Sometimes, it is difficult to know if you may have diabetes.  Here are a few signs you can look for
1. Urinating often
2. Vision Distorted
3. Always thirsty
4. Bruising easily
5. Fatigue
6. Getting infections often
7. Tingling or numbness of hands and feet

We know that diabetes can be very dangerous if not cure on time, So it's my personal request to those people who feel above symptoms must rush to their physician for quick assistant.