Diabetes, risk factors, signs and symptoms

Prediabetes is a medical condition in which you have a higher level of blood sugar than normal but the sugar level is not as high as that of diabetes. It’s the precursor of type 2 diabetes. Long-term damages caused by diabetes which affects mostly your heart, blood vessels and kidneys may occur if you have prediabetes. Prediabetes is a sign that there is a possibility of developing type 2 diabetes in case you fail to attempt some lifestyle changes. The good news is that daily activities such as consuming healthy foods, engaging in exercise and maintaining a healthier weight can help reduce the level of sugar in the blood.

Risk factors

The factors that are responsible for increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is also caused an increased risk of developing prediabetes. Below is the list of the factors;

1. Weight. One of the basic risk factors of developing prediabetes is overweight. The larger the amounts of body fat especially belly fat you have the more the cells of your body become resistant to insulin.

2. Waist size. You can experience insulin resistance if you have a large waist size. Men and women with waists larger than 40 and 35 inches respectively have an increased risk of insulin resistance.

3. Dietary patterns. You can have a higher risk of prediabetes if you eat a lot processed or sugared foods, and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. A lower risk of prediabetes can occur as a result of eating diets which are high in unprocessed foods like vegetables and fruits, nuts, whole grains and healthy oil with a lot of Omega-3 fatty acids like linseed oil.

4. Lack of physical activity. The risk of prediabetes is associated with lack or low physical activity. The importance of physical activity includes weight control, making use of all the glucose as energy and also increases your cell sensitivity to insulin.

5. Age. Though you can develop diabetes at any age, after the age of 45 years, the risk of prediabetes tends to increases. This may arise as a result of low exercise, losing muscle mass and weight gain as they grow older.

6. Family history. A family history of type 2 diabetes increases your risk of prediabetes.

How to recognize prediabetes?

Signs and Symptoms

Generally, there are no signs and symptoms associated with Prediabetes.

The only possible and visible sign that can put you at the risk of type 2 diabetes is darkened skin on some parts of the body. The parts of the body affected may include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles.

Major signs and symptoms that show you have metamorphosized from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes include:

• Dehydration
• Frequent passing of urine
• Tiredness
• Eye defect

How a healthy lifestyle can positively affect prediabetes and diabetes

Lifestyle changes have shown positive results when it comes to preventing the development of type 2 diabetes from prediabetes. Examples of such lifestyle changes revolve around dietary choices, increasing exercise, and also weight loss. All of this listed lifestyle sometimes can be challenging to patients but they are the best and most effective way.