Find out if prediabetes
could be your wake-up call
Find out if prediabetes
could be your wake-up call
What Is Prediabetes?
If your blood glucose is higher than normal, but not quite high enough to be considered diabetic, you are prediabetic. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes almost always had prediabetes first1. While having prediabetes does not guarantee that you will develop diabetes eventually, there is a very high chance that you will if you do not take the condition seriously1.
Notably, symptoms for prediabetes may not be apparent. Only about 10 percent of people with prediabetes are aware that they have it because many do not display any symptoms2. In Malaysia, the prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is 15.5%, with 3.4 million adults aged 20 to 79 affected3. However, it is known that a staggering 1 in 5 Malaysians are suffering from diabetes, or about 3.9 million adults aged 18 and above4.
What are the symptoms of Prediabetes?5
These are the symptoms of prediabetes.
The good news is that even if you are prediabetic, diabetes can be avoided with careful management of your diet and lifestyle, and medical treatment if necessary6.
You should consult your doctor and get yourself tested for prediabetes.
Regardless of how you treat it, prediabetes is your chance to make positive changes and delay your progression towards diabetes.
How Can I Prevent My Prediabetes Progressing to Type 2 Diabetes?
Prediabetes is a warning sign that you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, by visiting your doctor and following his or her advice, you will give yourself a chance to reverse prediabetes and control your blood glucose7. Sometimes a healthier diet combined with exercise is enough to do the job. If your condition is more serious, your doctor may recommend medication1 .
References:
- Adam G Tabák, Christian Herder, Wolfgang Rathmann, Eric J Brunner and Mika Kivimäki. 2012. Prediabetes: a high-risk state for diabetes development. Lancet 379(9833): 2279-2290. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60283-9.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/truth-about-prediabetes.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Ffeatures%2Fdiabetesprevention%2Findex.html.
- International Diabetes Federation. 2020. Malaysia: Diabetes Report 2010 – 2045. https://www.diabetesatlas.org/data/en/country/120/my.html.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2018. National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://iku.moh.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/REPORT/NHMS2019/Infographic_Booklet_NHMS_2019-English.pdf.
- Mayo Clinic. 2020. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355278#:~:text=Your%20risk%20of%20prediabetes%20increases,more%20likely%20to%20develop%20prediabetes.
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2019. Management of Prediabetes. https://www.aace.com/disease-state-resources/diabetes/depth-information/management-prediabetes.
- American Diabetes Association. 2020. With prediabetes, action is the best medicine. https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-risk/prediabetes.
References:
- Adam G Tabák, Christian Herder, Wolfgang Rathmann, Eric J Brunner and Mika Kivimäki. 2012. Prediabetes: a high-risk state for diabetes development. Lancet 379(9833): 2279-2290. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60283-9.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020. The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/truth-about-prediabetes.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov
%2Ffeatures%2Fdiabetesprevention%2Findex.html. - International Diabetes Federation. 2020. Malaysia: Diabetes Report 2010 – 2045. https://www.diabetesatlas.org/data/en/country/
120/my.html. - National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2018. National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. Ministry of Health Malaysia. http://iku.moh.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/
REPORT/NHMS2019/Infographic_Booklet_
NHMS_2019-English.pdf. - Mayo Clinic. 2020. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prediabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355278#:~:text=Your%20risk%20of%
20prediabetes%20increases,more%20likely%20to%
20develop%20prediabetes. - American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2019. Management of Prediabetes. https://www.aace.com/disease-state-resources/diabetes/depth-information/
management-prediabetes. - American Diabetes Association. 2020. With prediabetes, action is the best medicine. https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-risk/prediabetes.
