Prediabetic Conditions: Types, Symptoms and Causes

In the human body, a high blood sugar level that has been accumulated over a long period of time can prove to be a serious health condition. This is because the food and beverages need to break down in the digestive tract for producing insulin that in turn is the natural source of energy. However, if the pancreas is unable to produce insulin in a proper amount, then the development of diabetes is possible. For this reason, managing blood sugar levels is recommended to patients when they are in the prediabetic phase. Also, an individual with a higher risk of becoming diabetic should get blood tests done from a pathology lab and consult only the best endocrinologists in India.

Mentioned below are three conditions that prediabetic patients suffer from along with its symptoms and causes:

1.  Impaired Fasting Tolerance 

When a patient is fasting or does not consume food overnight and her/his blood sugar levels are relatively high, then they have impaired fasting tolerance. As the blood sugar level is not high enough to be categorized as diabetes mellitus, patients are not prescribed treatment related to the latter. Considered to be a metabolic syndrome, impaired fasting glycemia/tolerance or IFG can be diagnosed by observing symptoms such as increased thirst, recurrent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, and altered sensation. Females who have a history of gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing this condition along with those individuals who are overweight, Caucasian, and above the age of 40.

2.  Impaired Glucose Tolerance

In this particular prediabetic condition, patients exhibit blood glucose levels to be between normal and diabetic over a period of time. Although patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) do not have diabetes mellitus, the chances of developing it in a couple of years are very likely. Thus, getting HbA1C blood test after every six weeks is highly recommended by endocrinologists. The most common indicators of this condition are unexplained weight loss, lack of energy, increased thirst, bacterial and fungal infections on the skin, etc. It has been observed that patients with a family history of diabetes tend to develop IGT, especially if they are obese and indulge in little or no physical activity.

3.  Insulin Resistance 

While insulin resistance is not a type of prediabetes, the condition itself can induce high blood sugar levels in a patient’s body. This is due to the fact that a patient with insulin resistance is unable to process insulin within the bloodstream. As the insulin starts accumulating in the pancreas, cells lose the ability to respond to the hormone altogether. Patients who suffer from this condition should be getting creatinine and blood tests every three months so that the development of Type 2 diabetes can be monitored. Leading a sedentary lifestyle, gaining a lot of weight, and having unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse are known to develop insulin resistance all over the world.

Therefore, patients who exhibit symptoms from any of these conditions should be monitoring their blood sugar level for an entire year so that the development of diabetes can be controlled. Although diabetes is a lifelong condition, balancing the level of blood sugar can help in avoiding cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, hypertension, cardiac arrest and the like.

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Aishakapoor Joined: November 1st, 2019