Discover the early warning signs and effective strategies to manage pre-diabetes with our comprehensive guide.
Pre-diabetes is a condition characterised by higher than normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. It is considered a warning sign and an opportunity to take preventive measures to avoid developing type 2 diabetes. If you have received a HbA1c blood test level that is between 42-47 you are classed as pre-diabetic. View the information below to help you, help yourself.
If you have pre-diabetes, your blood sugar (glucose) is raised beyond the normal range, but it is not so high that you have diabetes. However, if you have pre-diabetes, you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Between 1 and 3 out of every 4 people with pre-diabetes will develop diabetes within ten years.
It is also thought that having pre-diabetes increases your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke (cardiovascular diseases). Also, people who have pre-diabetes are more likely also to have other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, being overweight, etc.
Many people have pre-diabetes and because there are no symptoms, they do not know that they have it. Diabetes UK estimates that around seven million people in the UK have pre-diabetes.
Pre-diabetes develops for the same reasons as type 2 diabetes. There are various things that can increase your risk of developing pre-diabetes. They are the same risk factors as those for type 2 diabetes. They include:
• Being overweight or obese (most people with pre-diabetes are overweight or obese).
• Having a family history of diabetes. This refers to a close family member with diabetes - a mother, father, brother, or sister.
• Doing little physical activity.
• Having other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
• If a woman has polycystic ovary syndrome and is also overweight.
• If you developed diabetes during pregnancy (called gestational diabetes).
People with pre-diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance) usually have no symptoms.
The NHS in England has developed the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme for people with pre-diabetes. This provides personalised support from a group of healthcare professionals.
If you are diagnosed with pre-diabetes and live in England, you should be offered referral to this service. It involves at least 13 sessions over about 9 months, each lasting 1-2 hours. You will be supported to set and achieve goals and make positive changes to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Most of the sessions will be run as face-to-face groups with other people who also have pre-diabetes and led by one or more experts.
Lifestyle changes have been found to be the most effective way to stop pre-diabetes from developing into diabetes.
If you have pre-diabetes, you should:
• Eat a healthy balanced diet. Basically, you should aim to eat a diet low in fat, high infibre and with plenty of fruit and vegetables:• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Do some physical activity regularly. If you are able, a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity at least five times a week is advised. For example, walking, swimming, cycling, jogging, dancing.
• Stopping smoking if you are a smoker.
• Ensuring that you stick to the recommended alcohol intake.
• Make sure that your blood pressure stays within the normal range.
If you are found to have pre-diabetes, it is important that you be followed up regularly by your doctor. This will usually mean a blood test to check your fasting blood sugar (glucose) level at least once a year.
