Don’t Underestimate Prediabetes!

Prediabetes is a health issue where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. It can be classified into 3 conditions: impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c).

IFG is most commonly tested. It involves a blood test after fasting for 8 to 10 hours and IFG is diagnosed if the fasting blood glucose level is between 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L. On the other hand, IGT is tested for high-risk groups. After fasting for 8 hours, patients will drink a glucose solution containing 75 g of sugar and then receive a blood test after 2 hours. If the blood glucose level is between 7.8 to 11.0mmol/L, the patient will be diagnosed with prediabetes. The last test is the HbA1c test. Excessive glucose in the blood will attach to the haemoglobin in the red blood cell, which will live for about 3 months, and lead to glycation. So, this test will measure the percentage of glycated haemoglobin in the past 3 months. If the value is between 5.7% to 6.4% (the normal range is 4% to 6.5%), the patient will be diagnosed with prediabetes.

If patients are found to be in the prediabetes stage, they are already at high risk of developing diabetes. They must take their health seriously as 5-10% of people in this group will develop type 2 diabetes each year!

According to statistics, 1 out of 10 Hong Kongers have diabetes, and 1 out of 6 have prediabetes. If you have a family member with diabetes, or you are overweight (BMI: 23.0-24.9), obese (BMI ≥25.0), a man aged over 40 or a woman with previous gestational diabetes, you should pay extra attention to your health.

So, how can we prevent the progression of diabetes? Changing your diet and exercising can help regulate your blood sugar levels. For example, you should eat fewer foods high in sugar and fat, and eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Plus, exercising moderately also helps, such as going for a walk for 30 minutes every day. If necessary, you may take medications to control your blood sugar levels.

If patients with prediabetes don’t take any measures, 70% of them will develop type 2 diabetes ultimately. Diabetes is a serious condition. 1 in 3 patients can die from heart disease or stroke, and over half of them will require non-traumatic limb amputation.

If you’re in the prediabetes state, that’s your body’s way of telling you to pay attention to your health! You should get checked and treated timely and make some changes to your lifestyle. It’s better to take action now than to deal with the devastating consequences of diabetes later. If you want to learn more about prediabetes, talk to your doctor for more detailed and personalised advice that’ll help you keep diabetes at bay!

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