Prediabetes, also known as borderline diabetes, is a condition where the sugar levels in blood are too high to be healthy, but not high enough to be classed as diabetes. Prediabetes affects around 1 in 3 adults in America and is a rising cause of concern in young people but what is it?
In this article we explain the basics of prediabetes to help you learn more about this illness and how it can possibly be prevented.
What does prediabetes mean?
For most people, prediabetes is the stage before developing type 2 diabetes. It occurs when blood sugar levels are higher than they should be but are below the levels to be considered diabetes. Unlike with diabetes, being prediabetic doesn’t have any symptoms so it is often not diagnosed until it becomes more serious. However, prediabetes is preventable and, in many cases, can be reversed.
Prediabetes doesn’t affect everyone who has diabetes. People who are born with or develop type 1 diabetes, or develop gestational diabetes, often don’t go through the prediabetes stage first. This is because the different types of diabetes have different factors that cause them.
What causes prediabetes?
Prediabetes can develop in anyone at any time, however there are several risk factors that increase the risk:
- Being overweight, obese, or having high blood pressure
- Other members of your close family having type 2 diabetes
- Developing gestational diabetes when pregnant, even if it was in the past
- Being aged 35 and over
- Smoking, not getting enough sleep, or living an inactive lifestyle
- Living with polycystic ovary syndrome
- Being Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian American
There are some factors that can’t be changed, however many of the risk factors can be managed, such as inactive lifestyle or being overweight. The more of the risk criteria a person meets, the higher the chance they will develop prediabetes. Making changes to the risk factors you have control over, can significantly help with lowering risk.
What are the different types of diabetes?
About 422 million people across the world have some form of diabetes, with type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes being the most common. Having prediabetes doesn’t mean you have diabetes; it’s not a type of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes means your body can’t make the hormone insulin which means your blood sugar is always too high. There is no known cause and no preventative measures that can be practised, although you are more likely to develop it if your parent or sibling has type 1 diabetes. It is usually diagnosed in childhood, however anyone at any age can develop type 1 diabetes and it currently has no cure.
Type 2 diabetes can occur because your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or the insulin doesn’t work properly. Type 2 diabetes has several risk factors attributed to it (as we mentioned above) and is the type of diabetes that prediabetes develops into.
Gestational diabetes occurs from having high blood sugar during pregnancy. It affects women who didn’t have diabetes before they were pregnant and tends to go away after the birth.
About 2% of people with diabetes have other types that aren’t listed above. The causes of these uncommon forms of diabetes can range from rare illnesses or medicine side-effects to hormonal imbalances, or genetic mutations.
Prediabetes vs diabetes
Prediabetes and diabetes are complex conditions however it can be difficult to understand the differences between them at first. To make it simple, we can break it down into three main factors that set prediabetes, type 1, and type 2 diabetes apart as:
- Insulin
- Symptoms
- Prevention
Insulin
With type 1 diabetes, your body cannot make insulin because the immune system has attacked insulin producing cells. Type 2 diabetes your body can no longer make insulin, or the insulin doesn’t work properly. Whereas if you’re prediabetic, your body is still making insulin, it’s just that your blood sugar levels are getting dangerously high and could lead to insulin issues.
Symptoms
There are many symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The symptoms for type 1 diabetes can appear quickly however for type 2 diabetes, they aren’t always very noticeable right away. They can include:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Being more tired than usual
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Losing weight and getting thinner without trying to
- Genital itching
- Wounds taking longer to heal than before
- Eyesight issues
Prediabetes doesn’t come with any symptoms and the only way to confirm it is through a blood sugar test. It is extremely important to understand the risk factors around prediabetes because they can help identify whether you’re likely to be prediabetic or not.
Prevention
At the prediabetes stage, prevention can be effective enough to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes can be put into remission with lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, however, with type 1 diabetes, there is no prevention method.
Can prediabetes be reversed?
Identifying and addressing the risk factors you can change, such as weight, blood pressure, being inactive, and smoking, can significantly reduce the likelihood of you developing diabetes.
A doctor will measure your blood sugar levels and as you take appropriate action like losing weight and quitting smoking, your blood sugar levels will decrease until they are in a healthy range again. Although this doesn’t work for everyone, up to 50% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by changing lifestyle habits. Once a person is no longer prediabetic, they can still become prediabetic again if they don’t keep up their healthier living.
How long does it take to reverse prediabetes?
There isn’t a set amount of time that will guarantee reversing prediabetes, there is no guarantee, and it is different for everyone. Research shows that eating healthier, exercising regularly, losing 5-10% of body weight, managing stress levels, and quitting smoking are highly effective ways to reverse prediabetes.
Can a CGM help manage prediabetes?
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a sensor worn on the skin, that measures sugar levels and allows people with diabetes to manage their insulin treatment. The results are viewed on a smartphone app which can be set up with alerts and access for other people to view.
Being able to see what your blood sugar levels are at all times gives people with diabetes the opportunity to track trends and make informed decisions about their treatment. For people with prediabetes, a CGM could be a useful tool to track their blood sugar levels and encourage them to keep making healthier lifestyle choices.
The current CGM’s on the market comprise of a sensor with a small needle, that is inserted into the skin and located in place for up to 14 days at a time. They need to be changed regularly and can be uncomfortable to wear. Afon Technology are developing Glucowear™, a completely non-invasive, continuous blood glucose monitor that will be suitable for prediabetic and diabetic people.
What Does Prediabetes Mean? FAQs
What exactly is prediabetes, and how does it differ from diabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition where someone’s blood glucose levels are higher than a healthy range, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Think of prediabetes as your body’s warning to act before diabetes develops. A prediabetes diagnosis doesn’t mean you will get diabetes, but it does show you have a much higher risk of developing diabetes than someone without prediabetes.
What are the common risk factors and symptoms associated with prediabetes?
The risk factors for prediabetes are the same as for diabetes such as members of your family having diabetes, smoking, and being overweight. However, prediabetes does not have any symptoms so taking note of whether you match any of the risk factors and speaking to your GP is the best way to discover if you have it.
How can someone with prediabetes monitor and manage their blood sugar levels?
For prediabetics, monitoring blood sugar levels will be done with Glucowear™ to keep on track of when and what foods, drinks, and exercises affect your blood sugar levels. Using Glucowear™ for guidance, you will be able to manage your glucose levels and decrease your risk factors for developing diabetes through lifestyle changes.
What lifestyle changes can help reverse or prevent the progression of prediabetes?
There are a range of lifestyle choices that can be made to prevent the progression of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes that can be tailored to each individual, including:
- Prioritising a nutritious diet
- Getting exercise regularly
- Healthily managing and losing weight
- Improving your sleep
- Giving up smoking
When should someone consult a healthcare professional about prediabetes?
If you are concerned you have one of more of the risk factors mentioned above, it’s as good idea to see your GP and get a professional medical opinion.
