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Cambridge (Massachusetts, United States): “Asharq Al-Awsat”
Monitoring the condition of “prediabetes” (pre-diabetes) early can help avoid developing the same disease and a number of other long-term health problems.
Pre-diabetes
Many women live with an invisible health risk – and “prediabetes,” a condition in which blood sugar rises, but not enough to be classified as diabetes.
In this regard, said Dr. Osama Hamdy, Assistant Professor, Harvard University School of Medicine and Director of the Obesity Clinical Program at the Joslin Diabetes Center, said: “Although diabetes affects an adult in three, nine out of ten adults suffer from this disease. “
Although prediabetes doesn’t cause symptoms, it can silently harm your health. Dr. Hamdi that people with prediabetes are at the same level of risk for cardiovascular disease as people with type 2 diabetes.
An analysis published in the British Medical Journal on July 18 concluded that prediabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15% and the risk of dying from any other cause by 13% compared to the average, over a period of follow-up of cases averaging about 10 years. The risk of premature death was higher than that of people with prediabetes who already had harmful plaque buildup in the arteries. These people were at a 36% higher risk of death during a follow-up period of only three years. Additionally, the high blood sugar levels that occur in prediabetes can damage the blood vessels behind the eye (a condition known as retinopathy), which can lead to vision loss.
High risk of diabetes
If “pre-diabetes” is left untreated, it often turns into full-blown diabetes, a condition in which the body’s cells cannot properly absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood. . The resulting increase in blood sugar can lead to more health problems. Besides heart attacks, strokes, and vision loss, people with diabetes are also more likely to have kidney problems and infections.
In this context, explained Dr. Hamdi: “Between 15 percent and 30 percent of those living with a ‘pre-diabetes’ condition will develop diabetes within five years.
Monitor the condition of women
So how do you know if he or she is at risk for prediabetes and needs to be screened? Here, Dr. Hamdy that anyone suffering or suffering from any of the following factors should undergo health examinations:
Being overweight is classified as being overweight or obese.
A family history of type 2 diabetes in first-degree relatives, such as a parent or sibling.
A long history of irregular periods, sometimes linked to a condition known as PCOS
Signs of insulin resistance on your skin, including dark spots in the armpits or wrinkles in your neck (indicating a condition called acanthosis nigricans) or several groups of acanthosis on the skin.
Gestational diabetes in pregnancy.
The birth of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (approximately 4 kg).
In contrast, the prediabetes test generally takes two forms. For postmenopausal women, who are particularly at risk of prediabetes and diabetes, they should see their doctor to measure hemoglobin A1C levels. This test measures the levels of sugar in the particles inside the blood cells and can give the doctor an idea of the blood sugar levels in the past three months.
In this regard, Dr. Hamdi pointed out that: “If the A1C readings are between 5.7 percent and 6.4 percent, this indicates prediabetes.”
Other indicators of prediabetes include a fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter, or a reading of 140 to 199 mg / dL two hours after drinking a drink containing 75 grams of glucose (a process called glucose tolerance test).
Avoid diabetes
If a person has prediabetes, developing diabetes is not an inevitable consequence, but they can still protect themselves from it. The best way to do this is to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Dr. Hamdy reported that the National Diabetes Prevention Program has shown that people who had pre-diabetes and adopted intense lifestyle changes reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 58% over the next three years. years. He believes the most effective approach is to develop a weight management program that combines nutritional counseling, at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, and a variety of cognitive-behavioral modifications, such as learning coping strategies. reducing stress and adopting healthy eating habits that you can tolerate in the long run.
In fact, you don’t have to lose a lot of weight to make a difference when it comes to your risk of developing diabetes, because adults most at risk of developing diabetes only lost 5-7% of their body weight. initial – about 8 to 11 pounds (3.6 to 5 kg) for a woman who weighed 160 pounds (72.5 kg) – reduced the risk of developing diabetes by 58%.
– Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Tribune Media Services
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