As we all know, fasting blood sugar of 7.0mmol/L is a red line, and if it exceeds this red line, even if there is no "three more and one less" symptoms, it will be recommended to check it another day, and if it still exceeds the standard, it may be diagnosed as diabetes.
However, there is also a "gray area" (fasting blood sugar over 6.1 mmol/L) in the transition from healthy people to diabetes, and this "gray area" is prediabetes, which is called the "reserve team" of diabetes.
They are at extremely high risk of developing diabetes and may be included in the "official establishment" of diabetic patients at any time. Studies have shown that 1.5%~10.0% of prediabetic people progress to type 2 diabetes every year.
Therefore, it is recommended that everyone be vigilant, pay full attention, and do not miss the opportunity to detect the signs of diabetes early.
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes includes impaired fasting glucose (i.e., fasting glucose 6.1 to 7.0 mmol/L) and impaired glucose tolerance (2-hour postprandial blood glucose 7.8 to 11.1 mmol/L).
Prediabetes is a dynamic clinical process between euglycemia and diabetes mellitus, and it is a necessary stage for normal people to develop type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is generally asymptomatic and not easy to detect, but it is an early warning sign of diabetes.
Studies have shown that people with prediabetes who are followed up for 6.5 years have a more than 8 times higher risk of developing diabetes than those with normal blood sugar. Therefore, this group of people can be described as the "reserve army" of diabetes, and prediabetes should not be taken lightly.
How is prediabetes diagnosed?
Prediabetes is diagnosed if any of the following three points are met:
1、空腹血糖6.1-7.0mmol/l。
2. Perform a 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test, and the 2-hour blood glucose is 7.8-11.1mmol/L.
Eat a normal diet for 3 days before the oral glucose tolerance test, do not do strenuous activities during the blood test, and do not smoke.
3. Glycosylated hemoglobin ≥ 5.7%.
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reflects the level of glycemic control in the past 2-3 months and is an important and stable indicator of blood glucose levels.
For the average person, the normal range for HbA1c is 4%-6%. However, for sugar friends, it should be controlled below 7%, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of microalbuminuria and delay the deterioration of kidney function.
Adults with diabetes should be controlled to less than 7% of HbA1c, with a more stringent HbA1c control target of <6.5%. In the absence of severe hypoglycemia, HbA1c should be kept within the near-normal range as much as possible.
How does prediabetes slow progression?
A large number of studies have shown that through lifestyle changes such as dietary modification, increased exercise and other interventions, some prediabetic patients can stay at this stage or even reverse, thereby reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
To delay or stop the progression of prediabetes, we should do the following:
01Eat a healthy diet
Don't eat high-fat, high-calorie foods, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to ensure the fiber content of food.
02Keep moving
Exercise five days a week, not too vigorously, and a simple 30-minute workout at a time is good for your health, such as walking. According to the American Diabetes Association, as little as 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent.
03Maintain a healthy weight
Lose excess weight by balancing physical activity and proper nutrition. If left untreated, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.
04Maintain a good mood
Emotional stress directly causes pancreatic β cell dysfunction, so that the tendency to insufficient insulin secretion is eventually fixed, and then induces diabetes. Therefore, in the face of stress and unpleasant things, everyone should learn to solve them, and try to maintain emotional stability and mental happiness.
05Get enough sleep
A study has shown that people who sleep 7~8 hours a night are the healthiest. If you sleep less than 6 hours a night, your risk of diabetes increases by about 2 times, and if you sleep more than 8 hours, your risk of diabetes increases by more than 3 times. It can be seen that maintaining a regular routine is essential to prevent diabetes.
The content of this article is only for health science popularization. For specific treatment, please consult a doctor at a regular hospital
Source: Diabetic Home Care