Pre-Diabetes

Impaired Glucose Tolerance (pre-diabetes) typically has no symptoms though is nearly always present before someone develops Type 2 Diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that some fifty four million people in the United States have pre-diabetes (in populations over age 20). This means that blood glucose levels may be higher than normal but are not generally high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Treatment Of Pre-Diabetes

Treatment of pre-diabetes may prevent serious health problems if it is diagnosed and treated early. It may help prevent kidney disease, eye disease, heart and blood vessel disease which may be present prior to any diagnosis of diabetes being made. If you have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes, are a woman who has been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome or have had gestational diabetes (or a baby over 9 lbs), belong to one of the minority groups that have been highly affected by diabetes (i.e. African American, Native American, Latino or Pacific Islander), are obese (especially around the abdomen), suffer from high cholesterol (especially high LDL cholesterol), are inactive most of the time, or are of an age when your body is less able to process glucose, you may be at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes.

When To Get Tested For Pre-Diabetes

If you are suffering a frequent urge to urinate, have blurred vision, extreme fatigue or unusual thirst, you may already have pre-diabetes. You should consider testing if you are over the age of 45, have other risk factors (listed above), have a Body Mass Index of over 25, or have had previous abnormal glucose tolerance testing, or other metabolic syndromes.

Details Of Pre-Diabetes Testing

Pre-diabetes testing is done generally by either an oral glucose tolerance test or a fasting plasma glucose test to see if your body is metabolizing glucose correctly. If you can identify the signs of pre-diabetes before you develop diabetes, you may be able to prevent Type 2 Diabetes from developing and lower your risk of the complications associate with Type 2 Diabetes. Medical studies have shown that minor lifestyle changes including exercise, weight loss, and treatment can decrease the chances of getting Type 2 Diabetes as much as 60%. Lifestyle changes are more effective than medications in reducing the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, and with early intervention, you can actually maintain blood glucose levels at normal ranges.

Successful treatment of pre-diabetes generally includes a heart healthy diet, weight loss, exercise (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week), quitting smoking and successful treatment of high blood pressure and high cholesterol.