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TheDiatebietesInfo.com Featured Article
Pre Diabetes Symptoms
By Tim
Lazaro
What is pre diabetes?
Before diabetes especially Type 2 develops, first there
are symptoms of pre diabetes. This can also be referred
to a 'borderline diabetes' or 'impaired glucose
tolerance or impaired fasting glucose'. This means that
your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not
high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes and not high
enough to be treated.
Pre diabetes affects millions of people worldwide and
besides being the pre runner of full blown diabetes it
has the ability to do more damage to the heart and
circulatory system than diabetes does. Yet there are
ways to determine if diabetes is developing and in doing
so can prevent diabetes taking hold. Preventative
measures include a pre diabetes diet and losing between
5% to 7% body weight. Exercise plays a vital role too
and should encompass 30 minutes a day five days a week.
It is not usual for people under the age of 45 to be
tested for pre diabetes, yet if you are overweight it is
a good idea or if you have a history of diabetes in the
family. There are also other health conditions that can
contribute to diabetes. Testing should be done about
every three years but if you have been diagnosed with
pre diabetes you should be tested annually.
Symptoms
It is a sad fact that most people don't know they have
pre diabetes until they are dangerously close to
diabetes. Pre diabetes symptoms include an elevated
blood sugar level higher than normal.
Most people don't show symptoms of pre diabetes though,
but it is scientifically known that apart from elevated
blood sugar levels unusual thirst, extreme tiredness,
frequent urination and blurred vision can be telling
signs.
For your doctor to determine whether or not you have pre
diabetes he or she will conduct two different tests. One
is called the 'fasting plasma glucose test' and the
other is the 'oral glucose test'. Fasting glucose test
or FPG can only be tested after total abstention of food
or drink other than water, for a period of 8 hours. If
your levels are abnormal after this fast, then it means
your body is not able to metabolize glucose correctly.
The oral glucose test measures your response to sugar
and is conducted only after the FPG test has been done.
A glucose solution is administered orally and after a
period of about 2 hours blood sugar levels are tested.
Normal levels are less than 140mg/dL while levels
between this amount and 199mg/dL suggest pre diabetes.
If your levels are higher than 200mg/dL you may already
have developed full blown diabetes.
Who should be tested?
If you are overweight with a body mass index over 25
If you have a family history of diabetes
If you are over the age of 45
If you fall in to high risk ethnic groups which are
Native Americans, Africans, Pacific Islanders or Latinos
If you have given birth to a baby weighing in excess of
9 lbs
If you have had gestational diabetes
If you have previous had an abnormal blood sugar reading
If you have high cholesterol, hypertension or high
triglycerides or
If you lead a sedentary life
Pre diabetes is a warning sign
Medical practitioners use the term pre diabetes to
explain the warning signs of diabetes yet also explain
it as being an impaired tolerance of glucose which is
found in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
It is a misconception that because you have a family
history of diabetes that you will develop it yourself.
Everyone's behavior, lifestyle and habits differ which
means it can be prevented. Diabetes is not a gene. The
key is in prevention rather than reaction. Changing
eating and lifestyle habits is not easy and it is for
this reason that many blame hereditary factors.
Early symptoms such as pre diabetes although alarming
can be misleading. It is possible to suffer from extreme
thirst, excessive fatigue and frequent urination without
being at risk of diabetes as these symptoms also relate
to high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However
prevention Is better than cure. If you exhibiting
symptoms it makes sense to have them checked out. In
doing so you will either put your mind at rest or be
given the opportunity of changing your lifestyle before
full blown diabetes takes hold.
About the
Author:
Tim Lazaro is a Fat Burning Nutrition enthusiast. For
more great tips and advice on a pre diabetes diet visit
http://www.listoffatburningfoods.com/
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