There is an increasing prevalence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, diseases which pre-dispose you to heart disease, cancer and dementia.
In 1980, there were around 108 million people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide, but today there are more than 422 million. By 2018 in the UK, Diabetes has been diagnosed in almost 3.9 million people but it is estimated that there are closer to 4.6 million people with diabetes today.
Prediabetes (which is one step away from diabetes) affects 1 in 3 adults in England. Yes 1/3rd of Brits. In 2003, however, this number was closer to 1 in 10. People who are overweight and over the age of 40 are estimated to represent 50% of prediabetes cases.
So what is prediabetes?
A person with prediabetes has blood glucose levels that are higher than normal. If left untreated, glucose levels may continue to rise. Diabetes type 2 develops when prediabetes progresses to this stage. By this point people lose the ability to control their blood glucose. This is significant because continually raised blood glucose is toxic, damaging your cells and increasing your risks of heart disease, cancer and dementia and shortening your life over all.
Generally prediabetes can’t be treated with drugs. However the condition CAN be reversed with a series of step-wise lifestyle changes. This is fantastic news because you can stop type 2 diabetes from developing.
In addition to prediabetes, other names for the condition include borderline diabetes, insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose (IFT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).
What causes prediabetes?
Prediabetes is caused by a variety of factors. The biggest cause, however, is an unhealthy lifestyle.
An unhealthy lifestyle can be described as having:
● A poor diet
● Low activity levels
● Excess weight
● Poor quality of sleep
● High levels of stress
However, poor diet is overwhelmingly the single largest cause.
There are other risk factors you cannot control:
● If you have a family history of diabetes
● Having Hispanic, African or a Pacific Islander racial heritage
● Being older than 45
● Having had gestational diabetes or a baby who weighed over 9 pounds (4.1 kg)
● Having polycystic ovary syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea
To reduce your risk of developing prediabetes, you need to make healthy lifestyle choices.
What are the symptoms?
One possible sign of prediabetes is darkened skin on certain parts of the body. Affected areas can include the neck, armpits and groin. This is known as Acanthosis Nigracans!
Learn more here: Acanthosis Nigracans – What is it and Why does it matter?
Another sign of prediabetes is the presence of skin-tags:
Learn more here: Skintags! Why they matter?
Classic signs and symptoms that suggest you’ve moved from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes include:
● Increased thirst
● Frequent urination
● Increased hunger
● Fatigue
● Blurred vision
● Numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
● Frequent infections
● Slow-healing sores
● Unintended weight loss
Watch a short video about Prediabetes symptoms: Here!
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and want to take action to reverse your (pre)diabetes and improve your lifestyle, why not book a free consultation with our founder Graham Phillips to discuss your options.
Alternatively, download our free E-Book to learn more about the condition