What is prediabetes and what if there is one? 2020-06-18 Prediabetes means that the blood sugar level is above normal, but not above the level that must be diagnosed with diabetes. if your doctor tells you that you have “prediabetes,” it also means that without making any healthy changes, you will have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes are more likely to develop diabetes for 10 years and are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. What does prediabetes mean for my health? Finding out that you are prediabetic may seem like bad news at first, as this indicates a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Many people with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. In addition, they are at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, if you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you have the opportunity to do something about it. Many people diagnosed with prediabetes find that they are able to make (and enjoy) healthy changes for a better life. Even if you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, do not think that you are too late to change a lifestyle that can improve the situation. Your efforts to create a healthier life will pay off if you find it easier to manage your health and diabetes. One secret that you may not be aware of is that a healthy lifestyle has side effects - good ones. As you become more physically active, you will develop strength and stamina that can bring “bonuses” to your life that you may not have considered before. A daily walk leads to hiking or cycling with friends and family. The knowledge of nutrition leads to a new pleasure in creative cooking. What you discover will become your own adventure, while maintaining health. Prediabetes means that the blood sugar level is above normal, but not above the level that must be diagnosed with diabetes. A fasting glucose (blood sugar) level between 100 - 125 mg / dl may indicate prediabetes and a problem with how the body responds to energy from food. To understand the problem of prediabetes, there are two important questions. What happens during digestion, which leads to an increase in blood sugar? What happens as a result of excess blood sugar? It is important to understand the problems caused by diabetes, especially when you still have time to reduce the risk of developing these potential complications due to lower quality of your life. Prediabetes is similar to a warning light, indicating that it is time to switch to a healthy lifestyle immediately! To understand this disease, it’s useful to know how our body copes with the sugars and energy found in food and drinks. Food breaks down into nutrients in the digestive system. Carbohydrates turn into glucose. Carbohydrates in foods break down and turn into a useful type of sugar, most often glucose. Blood distributes this glucose throughout the body to provide cells with energy or store them as fat for later use. (Fat is essentially “stored energy.”) The body uses the stored energy in glucose for movement, exercise, treatment, growth, and even thinking. Insulin is important for the body, it uses glucose. Cells in the pancreas respond to higher blood glucose levels by producing insulin. Using insulin, cells in the whole body absorb glucose and use it to produce energy. In people with diabetes, this process may not go as usual. Or: Insulin is not enough. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin to respond to blood glucose, so blood sugar levels rise, or Cells are insulin resistant. Cells no longer respond to an insulin signal about glucose uptake from the blood, so blood sugar levels rise. For people with diabetes, an extremely high amount of sugar in the blood can be associated with several symptoms; Coma Confusion Cramps Dry mouth, dry tongue Heat Increased thirst Increased urination (at the onset of the syndrome) Lethargy Nausea Weakness Weight loss Prediabetes means that the body already has problems with lowering blood sugar levels to a healthy level, but it has not yet reached a level considered to be diabetic. It also means that you can take important steps to help you avoid diabetes. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to follow your doctor’s recommendations and take all medications as directed. It is also important to make a commitment to make changes to a healthy diet and lifestyle that can help manage your condition and can help slow its progress.