What is Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is the precursor to diabetes, meaning that your blood sugar levels may be slightly raised above what is considered normal. Whilst prediabetics do not yet have type 2 diabetes, being in this category puts you at a greater risk of developing diabetes.
If you are worried that you might be at risk of becoming diabetic, a prediabetes test can help to detect prediabetic blood glucose levels and give you time to address the issue. Prediabetic testing can give you peace of mind and control over your own health.
Our private Prediabetes Test offers a convenient, easy, and accurate way to assess your and check your glucose levels and risk of developing diabetes. Prediabetic blood tests are part of our full body health check packages or can be added as an individual test to any existing package.
Explore our packages and book your prediabetes test online today.
What Does it Mean to be Prediabetic?
Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. It's considered a warning sign that someone could develop diabetes if they don't make lifestyle changes.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it makes. Insulin is a hormone responsible for managing blood glucose levels and regulating the body’s energy supply. Prediabetics may start to experience insulin resistance or low production levels of insulin.
Individuals who are categorised as prediabetic are also at greater risk of developing:
- Heart disease
- PAD (peripheral arterial disease)
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Raised cholesterol levels
- Issues with weight
Prediabetes developing into diabetes is very common. Currently, 6.4 million UK residents are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, with accurate testing, prediabetes can be detected and with the right support and making the necessary diet and lifestyle changes around 50% of type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented.
What Causes Prediabetes?
Prediabetes can develop when the body starts to become resistant to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, or when the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels in check.
As glucose levels rise in the blood, the pancreas produces more and more insulin to help control blood sugar levels. However, this action can overwork and tire out the pancreas, causing it to reduce its production of insulin. As a result, blood sugar levels continue to rise.
Many factors contribute to the development of prediabetes, including:
- Age: individuals over 40 years old are at higher risk
- Ethnicity: those with South Asian, African-Caribbean or Black African descent are 2 to 4 times more likely to develop diabetes
- Family history: if you have close relatives with diabetes, you are 2 to 6 times more likely to become diabetic
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol levels
- Overweight: in particular, those carrying weight around their waist
- Physical inactivity
- Women who have experienced gestational diabetes during pregnancy
- PCOS: women who have polycystic ovary syndrome
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Prediabetes?
Unlike diabetes, prediabetes symptoms often go unnoticed if any signs show at all. If symptoms do appear, this is usually a sign that prediabetes has already developed into type 2 diabetes.
The common signs of diabetes are subtle and may include:
- Increased frequency in urination, especially at night
- Tiredness
- Unexplained weight loss
- Genital itching or thrush
- Longer healing time for cuts and wounds
- Blurred vision
- Extreme feelings of thirst
If you do experience any of these diabetes or prediabetes signs or symptoms, it is advisable to undergo a prediabetes test to assess your glucose levels.
What is the prediabetes range?
A glucose tolerance test may not be the most effective test for diagnosing prediabetes or diabetes. Now, the most frequently administered test to detect prediabetes is the HbA1c blood test.
How to Reverse Prediabetes
Fortunately, there are ways in which to reverse prediabetes and keep diabetes at bay. By undertaking diet and lifestyle changes, you can reduce your risk of becoming or remaining prediabetic or developing type 2 diabetes.
Healthy diet
Following a healthy, balanced diet decreases diabetes development risk. The following diets are considered to be beneficial in limiting diabetes risk:
- Mediterranean diet
- Nordic diet
- Vegetarian and vegan diets
- Moderately reducing refined carbohydrate intake
The similarity between these diets is that they focus on healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Increasing your intake of wholegrain foods, such as fruit and vegetables, has all been linked to decreased diabetes risk.
On the other hand, consuming foods such as sugary drinks, red meats, processed meats, and refined carbohydrates is associated with an increased risk of becoming prediabetic and developing type 2 diabetes.
Get active
A sedentary lifestyle, or spending a lot of time sitting or lying down, is also linked to an increased risk of prediabetes. To combat inactivity in your day-to-day life, try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily routine. You don’t have to sign up to the gym or join a team sport. Just simple changes like leaving the car at home and walking more can raise your activity levels. Adults in the UK are advised to do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise to keep healthy.
Weight management
Linked to healthy eating and regular exercise, weight management is key to preventing prediabetes and diabetes. There is a correlation between carrying excess weight around the middle and an increased prediabetes risk. Individuals living with obesity and those categorised as being overweight are at a greater risk of becoming diabetic. Making healthy food choices and getting active can help you lose extra weight and significantly decrease your risk of developing prediabetes.
If you are concerned about your prediabetes risk and want to know how you can safely make diet and lifestyle changes to benefit your health, it is recommended to seek further advice from a healthcare professional.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Whilst certain contributing factors are out of your control, such as age and ethnicity, there are ways in which you can prevent developing type 2 diabetes. Taking ownership of your health by eating healthily, quitting harmful habits and being more active can help to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes risk can be reduced if you:
- Follow a healthy diet full of nutrient rich foods
- Avoid processed, high sugar and low fibre foods
- Increase your physical activity levels
- Lose weight
- Reduce your waist size
- Quit smoking
Undergoing a prediabetes test can help to assess whether your blood glucose levels are within the normal range. If your Results Report reveals that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, you may be prediabetic. A prediabetic blood test is a useful tool in diagnosing prediabetes and ensuring that you can take the necessary steps to prevent developing type 2 diabetes.
Private Health Checks for Complete Peace of Mind
If you would like to assess your blood glucose levels and check your risk of premature diabetes, a full body Health MOT can detect prediabetes early enough for you to make important diet and lifestyle changes. With prediabetics having an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, prediabetes blood tests are essential to prevent the onset of this chronic condition.
Our prediabetes HbA1c blood test is designed to assess your average glucose levels over 2-3 months. The HbA1c test is favoured over standard glucose testing as it is far more accurate in detecting prediabetes.
You can book your test today and avoid a lengthy waiting time for an appointment. Additionally, with 350+ venues across the UK, we offer accurate and reliable private testing with safe clinical procedures, no long travel times or busy waiting rooms.
Our prediabetes test is included in or can be added to our full body private health assessments or alternatively booked as an individual test. Just call us before your appointment to add an extra test.
