Health Rapidly

Changing eating habits and beginning an exercise program has been proven to be an effective method of preventing the development of pre-diabetes. Also called impaired-fasting glucose, pre-diabetes is reversible; that is, sugar levels can be returned to normal with medication, diet, and exercise, meaning that a diagnosis means you can do something to ward off impending, full-blown diabetes. But, what exactly is pre-diabetes? It is the precursor to developing type 2 diabetes and refers to higher than normal glucose content in the blood.

People with a risk of developing pre-diabetes are in the same category as those for type 2 diabetes. These categories include people whose genetic background predisposes them to the illness: African Americans and others of African descent, Native Americans, Latinos and people of Asian descent. Age also plays a role in who will eventually develop either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. Your physical health and weight factor into those risk levels as well.

Doctors can tell if you are pre-diabetic by performing two standard tests, namely the fasting test (FPG – Fasting Plasma Glucose) and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT – Oral Glucose Tolerance Test). The results of these tests will confirm whether you have pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or if you are diabetes-free.

The FPG test is normally done in the morning, and the patient is advised not to eat anything after 10 PM the previous night. A higher-than-normal reading for the FPG is an indication that you have been insulin resistant for a while.

OGTT, the glucose tolerance test, is used to measure your blood glucose level after an overnight fast, but unlike the FPG, you are also given a glucose drink two hours after the test. Your blood glucose levels are then checked two hours later; if the range is between 140 and 199 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), you will be considered pre-diabetic. These levels are also an indication that you may develop type 2 diabetes later on. 

If you are tested positively as having pre-diabetes, it is important to take annual tests so that you catch developed diabetes in its early stages. Early diagnosis is the easiest way to get the disease under control before too much damage has been done to vital organs.

Exercise and a change of diet, as well as moderate weight loss, have been proven to delay or prevent the onset of pre-diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Controlling your health is dependent on the changes you make in your daily habits. While avoiding serious illness is one reason to having a physical lifestyle, overall good health and long-lasting mobility are two other incentives to getting in shape.

To learn more go to Diabetes and at Gestational Diabetes