Although the health risks associated with diabetes, including heart attack and stroke, are well known, symptoms of prediabetes may exist well before the diagnosis of prediabetes disease, according to a new study. The study found that prediabetes, defined by higher than normal blood sugar levels but not sufficient to be classified as diabetes, is associated with elevatedRisk of cardiovascular disease(CVD) and death.
Recognize prediabetes symptoms
The study shows that there is a significant opportunity to prevent CVD by allowing doctors to identify and treat it earlier in people. ThePrevalence of prediabetesand diabetes is increasing rapidly to epidemic proportions. This is particularly true for low- and middle-income countries. Early detection and appropriate treatment can therefore have enormous benefits. However, if medical professionals do not address them in a timely manner, the lifelong complications and health effects can be devastating. The researchers analyzed 129 studies involving over 10 million people. Most of them are from Europe, Asia and North America and had prediabetes symptoms with and without CVD. They examined whether prediabetes was associated with higher rates of death and cardiovascular disease in people with and without a history of CVD. In addition, it should also be clear whether the criteria used to define prediabetes made a difference.
The research team found that people with prediabetes according to the World Health Organization criteria compared to those with normal blood sugar levelsincreased risk of CVDand more likely died for undetermined reasons. Different definitions of prediabetes were associated with a similar outlook in patients with a history of such heart disease. Additionally, the team explained that prediabetes symptoms are controversial and the term has already been widely discussed. Some argue that describing people with prediabetes creates more problems than benefits in terms of prevention and treatment and would not place a lasting burden on health systems. However, the high prevalence of prediabetes, as well as its strong association with health risks, means that successful intervention in the population could have a major impact on health.
Medical perspectives
The prevalence of prediabetes is increasing worldwide. Scientists estimate that more than 470 million people will suffer from it by 2030 and up to 70 percent of them will develop diabetes. Of particular concern are the many millions of people who do not know they have either condition and do not act early enough. For this reason, early detection and proper treatment can have enormous benefits. However, these must also be done in a timely manner, otherwise lifelong complications could arise. The researchers hope that theResults of this studyTransforming prediabetes from a controversial term to a useful trigger for prevention that will help address an escalating global health burden.
