Detection and prevention of pre-diabetes

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is written by Master, Doctor Vu Thi Duyen - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic hyperglycaemic disease characterized by a silent progression and causes many dangerous and even fatal complications such as vascular disease (myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction) and neurological damage. or damage to organs: Heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves...

The disease manifests itself quietly, so it is difficult for the patient to detect and easy to ignore when there are serious complications, even years before the patient can detect it, so we must have methods to help the patient detect and diagnose the disease. early diagnosis to have treatment direction and prevent complications from the earliest stage from pre-diabetes.

1. What are the causes of pre-diabetes?

Scientists have not yet found the cause of prediabetes. However, some still believe that genetics may play a role in increasing risk factors for prediabetes. That is, due to an abnormally damaged insulin control gene, your body cannot use insulin properly with the body's physiology. From there, sugar will accumulate in the blood leading to high sugar. Scientists have also shown that long-term excess body fat can also lead to pre-diabetes. Currently, pre-diabetes is a very common disease, easily detected early and can be treated and prevented from pre-diabetes at a very early stage.
Currently, along with the development of medicine and society, it is very necessary to detect risk factors and screen them early for prevention and treatment at a very early stage to reduce the burden. for patients and society. The following are risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Family history of members with diabetes (father, mother, grandfather, grandmother). History of gestational diabetes Age > 40 years Ethnicity Unhealthy diet Poor nutrition during pregnancy Limit physical activity or sedentary the more sedentary you become, the higher your risk of developing diabetes. prediabetes is higher. Being overweight: Being overweight is a major risk factor for prediabetes. In particular, people with a BMI above 35 will be very susceptible to the disease. Waist Size: Large waistline is one of the causes of insulin resistance. Dyslipidemia Hypertension > 140/90 mmHg. Pregnant women who are overweight, have been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, or have a family history of diabetes are all at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In addition, having previously been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or belonging to certain ethnic groups are at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. Polycystic ovary syndrome: This syndrome appears in women with symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism, and obesity. This syndrome increases the risk of diabetes;
Race: While there's still no clear reason, people of certain races – including African Americans, Hispanics, Indians and Asians – are more likely to develop the disease. pre-diabetes. Sleep: Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which the patient stops breathing repeatedly during sleep, leading to poor sleep quality. People who work shift day or night shifts may experience sleep problems. Sleep problems may also increase the risk of diabetes or type 2 prediabetes.

2. Test for early diagnosis of pre-diabetes

Currently, there are 3 commonly used tests to diagnose pre-diabetes:
A1C test (also known as HbA1C) This test measures a person's blood sugar level for 2-3 months. The normal HbA1C level is less than 5.7%. HbA1C levels between 5.7-6.4% are considered pre-diabetes. Over 6.5% through two tests are diagnosed with diabetes;
Fasting blood sugar test The doctor will take a blood sample after a night of not eating anything. A blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dL (5.6-6.9 mmol/L) is considered pre-diabetes;
Oral glucose tolerance 75g with 2 samples This test requires the patient to fast overnight for at least 8 hours to 10 hours. Before the measurement, the patient will drink a glass of sugar water and wait for the sugar to enter the bloodstream. After 2 hours of drinking, the doctor will draw blood to measure the sugar level. A blood sugar level of 140-199 mg/dl (7.8-11.0 mmol/l) is considered pre-diabetes;
For all tests, the higher the sugar level, the greater the risk of developing diabetes.

3. Measures to help prevent diabetes

The most important thing for people with pre-diabetes is to maintain a reasonable weight and cut down on the amount of fat, starch, and sugar in the diet.
Must plan to have a reasonable diet:
Reduce sugar, starch and sweeteners, replace with protein from meat, fish, eggs and green vegetables, fruits. Should choose grains with bran intact, rice should not be thoroughly milled. Do not eat too full, you can divide meals and chew them thoroughly. Increase fish intake, at least 2 meals/week Limit foods rich in animal fat, animal organs Increase the portion of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Meals Limit salty, carbonated soft drinks, confectionery Minimize stimulants such as alcohol, tobacco,... Exercise right and suitable for you
Daily, pre-urinary You can go for a walk or do some exercise with a duration of about 45 minutes - 60 minutes a day, and you should not take more than 2 days off in a week. To remember and maintain this habit, you should take a break after eating for about 30-45 minutes, then walk around for about 15-20 minutes. So the total operating hours of the day after 3 main meals will be guaranteed. For young people who do office work, they should limit the use of elevators, instead choose to take the stairs and avoid sitting for too long. Every 1 hour, you should stand up, walk gently in the office to increase insulin sensitivity.

Using products that support rapid blood sugar control
In addition to adjusting diet and exercise, people with pre-diabetes can completely control their blood sugar with safe natural herbal therapies whole. This method will stabilize the indicators quickly and reduce the risk of disease progression more strongly.
At Vinmec International General Hospital, we always deploy a screening package for diabetes and dyslipidemia to help detect pre-diabetes early, accurately classify diabetes type, develop a nutritional regimen, monitoring to minimize the risk and complications caused by diabetes.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.
SEE ALSO:
How to use insulin pen when do diabetics inject insulin? What type of diabetes requires insulin?