Pre-Diabetes is a milder form of diabetes that is sometimes called Impaired Glucose Tolerance. It occurs when blood glucose levels exceed normal levels but do not climb high enough to warrant a diagnosis of diabetes. It can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.
Pre-diabetes implies an impending risk that should be acted upon. If not acted on, Pre-Diabetes is likely to become Type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
However, it is possible to turn your life around and keep yourself from developing a type 2 diabetes.

SYMPTOMS

Often times there are no symptoms however, some of the possible symptoms are:

• Blood sugar level is higher than normal
• A sign of pre-diabetes can be Acanthosis Nigricans, which is a skin disorder characterized by dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and in creases

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE PRE-DIABETES?

The safest and surest way to confirm having pre-diabetes is to consult a doctor and take some tests. There are two types of tests for pre-diabetes. Doctors will typically use either the fasting plasma glucose test(FPG) or the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Both tests require the patient to fast overnight.

FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FGP)

This test checks your fasting blood glucose levels. Fasting means not having anything to eat or drink (except water) for at least 8 hours before the test. This test is usually done first hing in the morning, before breakfast.

RESULT INTERPRETATION

RESULT	FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FGP)
NORMAL	Less than 100 mg/dl
PRE-DIABETES	100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl
DIABETES	126 mg/dl or higher

ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST (also called the OGTT)

The OGTT is a two hour test that checks your blood glucose levels before and 2 hours after you drink a special sweet drink. It tells the doctor how your body processes glucose.

RESULT INTERPRETATION

RESULT	FASTING PLASMA GLUCOSE (FGP)
NORMAL	Less than 140 mg/dl
PRE-DIABETES	140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl
DIABETES	200 mg/dl or higher

LIVING WITH PRE-DIABETES

Your treatment for pre-diabetes will focus on losing weight, eating healthy foods and getting active. This is your chance to reverse pre-diabetes so it doesn’t turn into type 2 diabetes. Doing these will also help you avoid other health problems such as heart diseases and stroke that are linked to diabetes. You may also need to take diabetes medicine along with these.

WATCH YOUR WEIGHT

Most people who have pre-diabetes are overweight and have a body mass index BMI. A healthy weight helps your body use insulin the way it should. Losing weight can also lower insulin resistance in people who have pre-diabetes. The more you lose, the more you benefit, as long as you do it in a healthy way.

How you do it is up to you. One way is to start by making healthy eating changes that you can keep doing over time. Try reducing the number of calories you eat and drink and adding more activity to your day.

EAT HEALTHY

Eating a balanced diet is one of the best things you can do for yourself and for your health. You can do this by:

• Limit the amount of unhealthy fat you eat, such as saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol
• Cut your calories
• Limit sweet foods such as soda,cookies,ice-cream etc

GET ACTIVE

The more active you are, the more sugar (glucose) your body uses for energy. This keeps the sugar from building up in your blood. Exercise can also improve insulin resistance. Try to do moderate activity at least 2.5 hours a week. Or try to do vigorous activity at least 1.25 hours a week. It’s fine to be active in blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week. Moderate activity is safe for most people, but, its safe to always talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program.

MEDICATIONS

You may need to take oral treatment and medications such as metformin. It reduces the amount of sugar made by the liver in people who are insulin resistant. Note that before medicine is taken, it should be prescribed by a doctor and taken as directed.