Does Prediabetes always lead on to Diabetes?

Having a diagnosis of Prediabetes is a scary moment for many people. The prospect of going on to develop Type 2 Diabetes can feel overwhelming and frightening. But with 1 in 10 of us set to develop Type 2 Diabetes in the next 10 years, I see Prediabetes as a great opportunity to get control of your health, to make changes now, because as we all know; prevention is better than cure.

Here’s what we already know about the risks for those with Prediabetes:

70% of people with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes ⁽²⁾

5-10% of people will become diabetic annually ⁽²⁾

50% of cases of T2DM can be prevented or delayed⁽¹⁾

My aim is to empower people to prevent and delay Diabetes. And to do that we must understand which risk factors are most important.

There are 6 risk factors that we’re going to discuss.

1.  BMI: the more you weigh the higher the risk. BMI is based on both your height and weight and there are plenty of calculators online. Your target BMI should be between 20-25. Higher than this and we need to get it down. Remember the BMI is not useful if you are a bodybuilder or pregnant so read the guide that comes alongside it.
2. Visceral fat: This is the amount of fat around your organs. This is the dangerous fat that is causing inflammation. Because actually fat cells aren’t just a ‘dumping ground’. They are an organ within their own right, they release hormones and chemicals just like other organs. Unfortunately visceral fat releases chemicals that lead to inflammation and has a negative effect all over the body. The quickest way of measuring visceral fat is by measuring waist circumference. Take a tape measurer and start by your belly button and measure all the way around and the tape peasurer should rest gently on your skin so don’t pull it too tight or have it too loose. Your risks start increasing when your over 80cm/31inch female, 94/37inch male.
3. Gender: Men seem to be at slightly increased risk
4. Ethnicity: The white population have a lower risk. The populations at higher risk include South Asian, Chinese, African-Caribbean, Black African 
5. Age: The older you get the higher your risk. However if you have a diagnosis of prediabetes and under   the age of 50yrs then you have a higher risk of going on to develop T2DM than someone say that has this diagnosis in their late seventies. Your ethnicity matters here as well. For those of white race the risk goes higher after 40years, its more than 25yrs old for those of those populations I mentioned as already being of higher risk; afro-caribbean, black african, South Asian.
6. Family History: higher the risk 2-6 x more likely if 1st degree relative
7. High Blood Pressure: Increases your risk. This could very well be because high blood pressure has the same root cause as type 2 diabetes, something we delve into in much more detail in our courses.

Whilst you cannot change your genes, there are so many changes you can make to lower your risk. Want to know more? Well why not join Dr Nerys on the 21st March for our live 'Prediabetes Uncovered Masterclass'. This is designed for those newly diagnosed, that are confused about what to do and want to know once and for all how to decrease the blood sugars.

Want to know more? Please click here