Understanding Pre Diabetes
Pre diabetes is a critical health condition without any apparent symptoms of diabetes. This condition is also referred to as impaired glucose tolerance. Pre diabetes is common in people before he develops type II diabetes. As estimated by American Diabetes Association, nearly 54 million American individuals over age 20 are suffering from pre diabetes condition with a higher blood glucose level than normal, however, not so high that it can be exclusively classified under diabetic condition.
Day by day, doctors and researchers are identifying the value of diagnosing pre diabetes condition as the initial phase of the treatment in order to protect people suffering from more critical health complications. Early diagnosis as well as treatment of pre diabetes may help people not suffering from diabetes type II and all other related health hazards such as heart problem, high blood pressure, eye and kidney diseases, etc.
Symptoms
In the majority of the cases, pre diabetes condition does not come along with any apparent symptoms. However, for some people the symptoms of diabetes are prevalent. These symptoms are unusual thirst, a recurrent desire to urinate, blurred vision or intense feeling of fatigue. In addition, the medical lab test may reveal few symptoms that can ascertain whether pre diabetes is present or not.
Diagnosis
In order to investigate whether you are having pre diabetes or not, the doctor usually performs two blood tests. One is fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test and the other one is oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). While performing FPG test, you need to take a minimum of 8 hours fasting, following which your blood glucose level is measured. This laboratory test can identify whether your body can metabolize glucose correctly or not.
If the test investigates that your blood glucose level is abnormal, it means you have acquired 'impaired fasting glucose'. In other words, you have developed pre diabetes.
Who Needs to Be Tested for Pre Diabetes?
You should go for the test if you are over 45 years of age and having any possible risk factors for diabetes. Additionally, you should also care for the test, if you are overweight and having a BMI over 25. Ethnicity may also play significant role in the development of diabetes. You can even consider going for the test if you have a history of different health complications such as high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, gestational diabetes, central obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome or insulin resistance.
