
Prediabetes – Prevent and Treat _ Life 77
Table of Contents
WHAT IS PREDIABETES?
Prediabetes is characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels, but the readings are below the threshold called diabetes.
The warning signs of prediabetes are called type 2 diabetes warning signs because people with prediabetes are often at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the very near future.
In particular, people with prediabetes who have the following additional risk factors are more likely and faster to develop type 2 diabetes:
- Aged age. Although diabetes can develop at any age, the risk generally increases as the body ages (usually after the age of 40), when physical activity decreases, muscle tone, body organs begin to age , decline in function and are prone to weight gain .
- Overweight and large waist. Being overweight is the most important risk factor for prediabetes. The more fatty tissue the body accumulates around the abdomen and invades the interior of muscles and organs, the more cells become resistant to insulin, reducing their ability to use blood sugar.

- Less physical activity. The reason is easy to understand, people who lack physical activity, the whole body will always be stagnant, internal organs work slowly and inefficiently, physiological and natural biological functions are not guaranteed, excess fat accumulates and invades everywhere, and as a result, cells become increasingly insensitive to insulin and are therefore no longer able to absorb sugar from the blood – one of the primary reasons for type 2 diabetes.

- Unhealthy eating habits, eating a lot of substances high in fat, starch and sugar.

- High blood pressure. The percentage of fats in the blood is high.

- Abnormally high blood sugar in the past

- Gestational Diabetes. If a woman develops diabetes during pregnancy, her risk of developing diabetes increases later in life. Additionally, women who give birth to babies weighing more than 4 kilograms (9 pounds) are also at increased risk of developing diabetes.

- Polycystic ovary syndrome. If a woman has polycystic ovary syndrome (characterized by irregular periods, hirsutism, and obesity), there is also an increased risk of diabetes.
- Family history: The risk of prediabetes is increased if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes in the family.
- Not getting a good night’s sleep for a long time: people with sleep apnea (sleep is repeatedly interrupted due to sleep apnea), people who often work erratic night shifts…. Type 2 diabetes comes, but prediabetes comes first.
DIAGNOSING PREDIABETES
When do you need to see a doctor?
If you notice any of the following symptoms, you should see your doctor as soon as possible:
- Very thirsty
- Frequent urination
- Tiredness
- Blurred vision
- Particular attention should be paid to the very high risk of diabetes if there are abnormally dark areas of skin on certain parts of the body such as the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, knuckles (called acanthosis nigricans)
In fact, only a blood test can definitively determine a health condition. Blood sugar and/or glycated hemoglobin (abbreviated as HbA1C or A1C) are measured in the blood.
These tests are recommended every 3 years for people aged 40 and over. It is recommended that people with multiple risk factors take these tests 3 years earlier.

Prediabetes is also sometimes characterized by the time of day when blood sugar values are abnormal, specifically:
- Abnormal fasting blood sugar: means that the blood sugar is higher than normal after 8 hours or after 1 night without eating.
- Glucose intolerance: means that the blood sugar is higher than normal 2 hours after drinking a liquid rich in glucose, equivalent to a meal containing a lot of carbohydrates (sugar)
- Glycated hemoglobin test (HbA1C or A1C). This blood test shows a person’s average blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months. It measures the ratio of blood sugar to hemoglobin (an oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells). The higher the blood sugar level, the more this hemoglobin is attached to sugar. However, this test will no longer be accurate if a person has an abnormal form of hemoglobin or if a woman is pregnant.
Important index:
Here are the important indexes, which are blood glucose test indexes that you can easily do yourself with just one instrument, a home blood glucose tester, which is very easy to equip if necessary.
A few simple ways to determine blood sugar, you can refer to:
Fasting blood sugar:
- Prediabetes: between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/L, in this case the glycemic index is 6.5 mmol/L

- Type 2 diabetes: greater than 7.0 mmol/L, this case has a glycemic index of 7.2 mmol/L

Blood sugar 2 hours after drinking a solution containing 75 grams of glucose (equivalent to a high sugar meal):
- Prediabetes: 7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L
- Type 2 diabetes: 11.1 mmol/L or more
Blood sugar at all times of the day:
- Mentioned only for type 2 diabetes: 11.1 mmol/L or more accompanied by symptoms typical of diabetes.

- There are also many cases of diabetics that I encounter with blood sugar higher than 30 mmol/L like this:

PRE-DIABETES PREVENTION
Preventing prediabetes is essentially the same as preventing type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, with lifestyle changes, especially healthy eating habits and exercising sensibly, diabetes can be completely controlled. As following :
Healthy diet
In principle, it is necessary to limit the consumption of foods rich in fat, flour and sugar. However, specific diets vary from person to person, depending on medical conditions, culture, customs, and dietary preferences. However, in any case, the diet should not worsen the blood sugar situation. And, to be sure that there is a diet that really suits you personally, you should consult your doctor.

Weight loss
This is a challenge for many people. However, losing weight has a great effect and quickly improves the condition of the disease. Even if you only lose 5-10% of your weight, your body can make huge changes.

To exercise
Patients can choose their favorite exercises, suitable for their condition and age. For elderly and physically weak people, it is advisable to choose types of exercises that are less likely to cause harm to the body, but have high physical enhancement effects. The types of exercises recommended here are yoga, tai chi, indoor cycling, dancing, etc. It is recommended to practice regularly every day, even if the duration of each session is not very long.

Quit smoking if you are addicted
Arguably, almost all of us are aware that smoking increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer.
However, it should be added that smoking is also a risk factor for insulin resistance – the cause of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Take medication as directed by your doctor

If you have a blood sugar level that stops at what is called “pre-diabetes”, this means that your fasting blood sugar is between 6 and 7 mmol/L, as shown above. Obviously, the implementation of the treatment and prevention measures mentioned above such as diet, exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol restriction, etc. are very necessary and should be done first.
However, if this is not enough, you may need your doctor’s supervision and guidance in using the drug.
Often, when treating blood sugar-related diseases, consideration and control of blood pressure and blood lipids are also concerned with the use of medications.
There are many medications commonly used to control blood sugar. Each drug has different mechanisms and effects and is indicated according to each patient and their disease.
Here, for prediabetes, I’m just talking about a few metformin drugs (ex: Glucophage, Fortamet) or some similar drugs that are highly appreciated by prediabetics as well as type 2 diabetics if the patient’s medical condition is taken into account. appropriate account.
The above drugs have the ability to reduce blood fat, at the same time inhibit the absorption of sugar in the intestines and increase the transport of sugar into cells, inhibit the new generation of sugar in the liver and thereby reduce blood sugar and reverse prediabetes.
In fact, metformin has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes by up to 30% by restoring the body’s proper response to the insulin it produces naturally. Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, and problems with sexual function. At the same time, good control of diabetes can also reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Additionally, the drug metformin can also reduce appetite and aid in weight loss.
In short, prediabetes is rated as a possible cause of type 2 diabetes. So if you have early signs of diabetes such as frequent urination or unusual hunger, or even unusual thirst, eyestrain, etc., you need to see a doctor urgently.
However, you can rest assured that even if you are diagnosed with prediabetes, it is not certain that you will develop type 2 diabetes. Even so, being prediabetic is enough for you to make the effort to take action to control and push him away. Because efforts to control and lower blood sugar levels not only help us avoid the risk of type 2 diabetes, but also prevent and treat many other related diseases.
Good health!
Prediabetes – Prevent and Treat _ Life 77
You can see:
Prediabetes diagnosis and treatment: A review