What is meant by pre diabetic?

Are you constantly thinking about your blood sugar levels? Do you dread the finger pricking that comes with a diabetes diagnosis? Have no fear, because pre-diabetes might just be the answer to all of your concerns! In this article, we will delve into what it means to be pre-diabetic and how it can affect your life. So sit back, relax, and prepare yourself for some unexpected information!

The Basics: What Does ‘Pre-Diabetic’ Even Mean?

Okay folks, buckle up because we’re diving deep into medical jargon with this one. Pre-diabetes refers to individuals who have higher than normal blood glucose levels but are not yet at the point where they would be diagnosed with diabetes.

Yes my friends, there is actually a middle ground between being completely healthy and having full-blown diabetes; who knew?! This sneaky stage typically leads straight into Type 2 Diabetes unless measures are taken to prevent it.

But wait…what even is Type 2 Diabetes?

A Quick Refresher: Diabetes

Chances are high that you or someone close to you has had an experience related to type 1 or type 2 diabetes. However let’s brush up on our stats:

• Type 1 Diabetics make up around five percent of diabetics
• Type 2 Diabetics account for the vast majority of diagnoses (over ninety percent)
• Gestational Diabetes affects pregnant women & makes them more susceptible in future pregnancies
• There is even something called Pre-Gestational Diabetes which sounds terrifying (but don’t worry too much about that right now)

Now if only our Math courses were as straightforward…

Back on track – while both types share symptoms such as frequent urination and excessive thirst; their root issues/causes differ greatly from one another.It’s important for us enthusiasts/amateur internet researchers/doctors to know the difference!

Type 2 Diabetes Explained

Type 2 Diabetics produce insulin but their bodies are resistant to it or don’t produce enough of it. This causes imbalanced blood sugar levels which can be extremely problematic in various ways; as we all may have experienced after a day of stress-eating…no? Just me?

Some key factors that lead to type two diabetes include:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Being overweight
• Smoking

The good news is, these risk factors can be controlled/modified/prevented with some determination and effort (phew!).

Pre-Diabetic Criteria: How Do You Know If You Fit In?

So how do people even end up at this stage anyway? It’s not like there’s a big billboard advertising “PRE-DIABETIC HAVEN THIS WAY!”

Prediabetes diagnostic criteria really get into the details so grab your latte and let’s dive right in (Disclaimer: No medical degrees included in author bio).

Fasting Blood Sugar Levels	Results
Normal	Below 100 mg/dL
Prediabetes	Between 100-125mg/dL
Diabetes	Above 126mg/dL

One fairly encouraging aspect we’ll note here is that many simple/tangible actions such as exercises, healthier eating habits & sometimes medications can reduce pre-diabetic symptoms!

Now for those still feeling uneasy due to their rising blood sugar concerns – make sure you’re absolutely taking care of yourself from now on. This between-zone represents both an opportunity for positive change and potential red flags down the line if nothing is done.

A friend once said,”Hopeful thinking never did cut anyone off smoothie bowl bliss.” Or something along those lines…

Risk Factors For Prediabetes

Time to whip out another table folks! But first things first, you should note the following risk factors as potential causes for being pre-diabetic.

Certain health conditions	Habits
Previous Gestational Diabetes	Being Overweight
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)	Living a sedentary lifestyle

Now despite common misconception; age isn’t actually listed as strong indicator of prediabetes nor does it select solely one gender. Although it can effect all sorts of people – genetics and family history is somewhat influential here. But if we’re looking on bright-side: many lifestyle-based factors tend to counteract genetic predispositions!

Something that may be considered less sunny would be understanding how /why different ethnicities are impacted by prediabetes at varying rates:

• African Americans
• Hispanic/Latino-Americans
• Native Americans

(All hail tabular data!)

Prevention & Treatment Measures

Next up? Time to ignore everything in life causing stress while fully committing ourselves personal improvement through wellness! Right??

Right.

Jokes aside, there really are achievable ways to prevent/combate out problematic blood sugar levels; no need to fear getting chummy with insulin pumps just yet 🙂

Lifestyle Factors- moving around more, eating better & sleeping properly …

Let’s start off easy by tackling what everyone experiences daily : our daily routine (loud whisper: not including moms).

One big area to focus on includes getting enough physical activity per week. This doesn’t demand running marathons or tripping over yoga mats uncontrollably either! Aiming for least thirty minutes brisk walking/biking/etc per day;starting somewhere small and progressing makes all the difference long-term. As Nike once told us way back when – Just Do It!

Healthy eating habits also plays into overall well-being both physically and mentally.Maintaining a healthy body mass index typically corresponds with being within healthy blood sugar levels.

Quick Reminder: being pre-diabetic doesn’t mean having to cut out all carbs or anything mortifying like that! Many moderate diet adjustments can absolutely make a difference here such as:

• Limiting high-sugar food/drinks
• Reducing saturated fat intake
• Eating fiber-rich foods

Lastly, consistent sleep habits play into this equation also. Inconsistent sleep gradually cause cortisol (one of your stress hormones) levels to skyrocket over time which influences insulin balance negatively.

Basically? Being an overall responsible adult will pay dividends across the board!

Medication Options: Inform Yourself!

While lifestyle-based choices are accessible and typically cost-effective for most people; medication options do exist if needed. We’ll only briefly touch on some possible remedy-options here since one person’s experience is very different from another’s in regards to prescribing medicine.

Name	Operations
Metformin	Can help reduce glucose formation in liver & helps body respond better to insulin
Acarbose	Slows down carb digestion rate
Liraglutide	Helps pancreas produce more long lasting insulin

It’s important never lower your doses without consulting with your doctor first- they know what’s up (cue angelic music) !

Good Habits : Picking them up& Knowing Their impact of A Lifetime

We’ll wrap things up with a big-picture/inspirational note – not just lip service, I promise! It often seems easier short-term decisions catered towards convenience rather than those beneficial choices affecting us years later.

Thus reaffirming that assuring our health depends heavily on many small actions taken daily (with lots + lots of determination included). This value-add we’re focusing on effects far beyond preventing diabetes but ripples positively throughout our entire lives’(all hail tiny healthy routines!).

Ultimately whether you’ve just been diagnosed with pre-diabetes or simply seeking extra knowledge for self-improvement; it’s important to stay positive, motivated and remember that the small choices we make daily accumulates incredible long-term benefits.

Plus now we can all feel a little smarter from learning so many new complicated terms !