prediabetes
For people with prediabetes, doctors may provide drug therapy which, in most cases, merely delays the onset of type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, prediabetes is a potentially reversible health condition.
Contact us today and let us help you start the reversal process. In the meantime, consider the following facts about prediabetes:
- Prediabetes refers to a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
- Approximately 25% of people with prediabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 3 to 5 years from the date that their prediabetes began unless effective reversal or prevention measures are taken.
- Most people with prediabetes show signs of diabetic retinopathy (eye damage), diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage) and diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), all of which are potentially reversible.
- It is estimated that over 86 million adults in the US (37% of the US adult population) have prediabetes.
- Approximately 1 in 3 US adults have prediabetes, and up to 89% of them are unaware that they have it.
Both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are potentially reversible health conditions that Fettler Health can help you reverse. If these conditions are not reversed, the following complications — many of which are also potentially reversible — have been known to occur:
No Symptoms
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes often generate no symptoms. This leads to two problems. One, without symptoms, people with these conditions are unaware they have them. Two, because both of these conditions often arise without symptoms, prediabetes typically progresses to type 2 diabetes without warning. Eventual signs and symptoms of unmanaged type 2 diabetes may include extreme thirst, frequent urination, sores that won’t heal, frequent infections, tingling in the feet, and vision loss.
Type 2 Diabetes
Prediabetes, hyperinsulinemia (the precursor to prediabetes), and type 2 diabetes, are all stages of the same progressive disease, and they all begin with a disorder referred to as insulin resistance. In this context, some refer to type 2 diabetes as advanced or extreme insulin resistance. On average, people with type 2 diabetes go undiagnosed for about 7½ years from the time that insulin resistance first develops.
Nerve Damage
Population studies indicate that individuals with prediabetes show signs of diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage), although the severity of that damage is less extreme than the level of damage experienced by those with type 2 diabetes. Such damage may affect sensory abilities (related to physically feeling things) and/or motor abilities (related to moving one’s muscles). Research suggests that, among those with prediabetes and diabetic neuropathy, sensory abilities are more frequently affected than motor abilities.
Gained Weight
Three main reasons explain why prediabetes often leads to weight gain. First, in prediabetes, the body struggles to regulate its blood sugar level and, in turn, prompts the consumption of more calories than are needed. When unneeded calories are consumed, the body stores those extra calories as fat. Second, if the body becomes insulin resistant, as is the case for those with prediabetes, some blood sugar is not used as energy and is, instead, converted by the liver to fat. Third, insulin resistance, in its early stage, prompts the pancreas to produce more than normal amounts of insulin. One primary effect of high insulin production is weight gain.
Eye Damage
diabetic retinopathy (eye damage) often occurs in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It begins with changes in the small vessels in the back of the eye and, over time, may lead to vision loss. Research suggests that as many as 1 in 12 people with prediabetes also have diabetic retinopathy. Fortunately, an ophthalmologist can see early signs of such changes and effectively track this condition. diabetic retinopathy is a potentially reversible health condition if targeted early.
Kidney Damage
People with prediabetes often have undiagnosed diabetic nephropathy, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), a progressive, 5-stage disease. Research indicates that the stage of CKD found in people with prediabetes ranges from 1 to 4. When CKD reaches stage 5, the patient requires kidney replacement therapy in the form of a transplant or dialysis. Fortunately, diabetic nephropathy is a potentially reversible health condition if targeted early.
Fettler Health provides the tools and services to help you reverse potentially reversible health conditions including those listed below.
Click a condition that you would like to know more about: