Prediabetes is a disease which affects the body’s management of blood sugar. It is a danger to health in and of itself, and it is also often a precursor to the more serious blood sugar management disease known as diabetes. According to a 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control, about one-third of U.S. adults have prediabetes, but only 13 percent of them are aware of it.1
Diabetes is also often overlooked, according to a recent UK study.2 In the study, 200,000 blood samples were analyzed, revealing more than 2,000 cases of diabetes which were not diagnosed at the time the blood samples were first processed. Most of those cases did not get correctly diagnosed for at least 2 years afterwards, some for 5 or more years.
However, even when either illness is correctly diagnosed based on the standard criteria, it is very likely that blood sugar management problems have already existed for several years. According to the American Association of Endocrinologists, rising blood glucose levels should be viewed as a gradually more and more serious problem, with medical conditions worsening as blood glucose levels go up.3
The solution? Monitor blood sugar levels closely, being watchful for increases over time, whether or not they have risen to the level of a prediabetes or diabetes diagnosis. If you do see such increases, the good news is that they can be reduced or reversed by lifestyle changes related to diet and exercise.
