More than 35% of all adults are in pre-diabetic condition, as British scientists have found. The world is facing an unprecedented epidemic of type 2 diabetes.
The British Medical Journal has published a research saying that more than a third of the adult population is already in pre-diabetic condition. The situation is not much better in other developed countries. Type 2 diabetes often develops in adulthood and depends on a person’s lifestyle. The disease reduces life expectancy by an average of 6 years (more than HIV!) In addition, it causes complications such as blindness and diabetic foot, which leads to amputation.
Pre-diabetic state is a combination of factors that significantly increase the risk of the disease. The most important factor is the increased blood sugar level. This state is asymptomatic, and blood sugar level can be measured only by clinical blood tests. If the test shows 6% – 6.4% sugar in the blood, this condition is referred to as pre-diabetes; 6.5% and above – diabetes.
Increased blood sugar indicates that the body still produces insulin, but cannot use it efficiently, which is also called insulin resistance. One of the first symptoms of type 2 diabetes is blurred vision or its sudden loss, because the disease often affects the eyes.
Note that although being overweight is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, not all diabetes patients have excess weight. Family history, the birth of a very large baby, as well as polycystic ovary syndrome increases the risk of diabetes, regardless of weight. That is why even people with normal weight should be checked for blood sugar level. If it is high, you need to reduce sugar consumption sharply.
