Many people hear the words, “prediabetes” and shrug it off thinking it is just a normal thing that everyone has and that it eventually will go away, or that it doesn’t exist. But just like any other condition, if left unchecked, it can grow into something more serious and can affect your way of life.

Prediabetes is a condition that is defined as having more than normal sugar (glucose) in the blood, but not enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 88 million (or 1 in 3) Americans have prediabetes with most being unaware of their diagnoses. Prediabetes is a serious condition and needs to be treated with urgency, because if not, there will be more complications down the road other than type 2 diabetes.

What can happen if prediabetes is left untreated?

Prediabetes could not only lead to type 2 diabetes, but could also lead to further complications with other areas in the body.

• Heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes are twice as likely to end up with heart disease and stroke than people without diabetes.
• Eye complications. Diabetes can lead to blood vessel damage, clouding in the lens (cataracts) and high amounts of fluid pressure in the eye (glaucoma) can occur.
• Kidney disease. This is huge in patients with diabetes because high levels of glucose can damage the kidneys (since this organ filters our blood) and causes chronic kidney disease (CKD). This can further lead to the person needing dialysis (a machine that filters blood) and eventually a kidney transplant.
• Nerve damage. This is also called neuropathy and is the most common complication of diabetes. Neuropathy typically causes numbness and pain and most often affects the feet and legs but can also spread to other areas such as the blood vessels and heart. Eventually, loss of feeling in limbs can happen.
• Slow wound healing. If left untreated, serious infections can occur on the skin which can ultimately lead to amputations of limbs to stop the spread of the infection.

What are ways prediabetes can be reversed?

The good news is there are ways to reverse prediabetes and prevent the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The major way to achieve this is through lifestyle modification. It is important to ensure you are getting at least 150 minutes (30 minutes for 5 days a week) of moderate to vigorous exercise weekly. Also eating a diet rich in healthy fats, proteins, fiber, and low in processed carbohydrates and sugar is a great way to achieve and maintain low blood glucose levels. Most people with prediabetes are overweight or obese, so getting to a healthy weight, will lower your chances of progressing to type 2 diabetes.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 11). Prediabetes - your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html.
2. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, January 20). Type 2 diabetes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193.