Prediabetes is a condition characterised by higher than normal blood glucose and an increased risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes.  Often, people are completely unaware that they have prediabetes, which means they miss out on interventions that could prevent type 2 diabetes developing.  According to a new report from the leading charity Diabetes UK there are nine million people in the UK with prediabetes.  Also known as impaired glucose regulation, prediabetes is defined as having a blood glucose level that is higher than normal but less than is usually the limit to diagnose type 2 diabetes.

Many of those who have prediabetes are either overweight or obese and they are also likely to have a family history of prediabetes. Another feature is high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  All of these factors can readily be diagnosed so that those who have prediabetes could be identified in primary care. Prediabetes can often be reversed by measures such as losing a moderate amount of weight, improving diet and increasing exercise levels.

Therefore Diabetes UK is keen to support the government’s NHS Health Check Programme which will help identify those who have prediabetes. There are some pointers you could be aware of in case you have prediabetes.  So, if you are white and over 40 or are black or South Asian and over 25 and have a close relation with type 2 diabetes you may have prediabetes yourself. Other risk factors for prediabetes are high blood pressure, polycystic ovary syndrome in women, waist measurement over 31.5 inches in women or 37 inches or more in men (35 inches or more in South Asian men).  Women who had diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy are also at risk of prediabetes as are those with mental health problems. Diabetes UK says that the more risk factors there are, the greater the risk is that someone has prediabetes. If you have one or more of these risk factors, you should consult your primary care practitioner so you can work together to help prevent prediabetes, if you have it, progressing to type 2 diabetes.

Source

Diabetes UK October 19 2009