What is Pre-Diabetes?
Pre-diabetes occurs when the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose becomes impaired. At this stage, insulin, the hormone responsible for moving glucose into your cells, starts to become less effective. Over time, without intervention, this can progress into type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body can no longer control blood glucose effectively.
Factors That Predispose You to Diabetes:
- Genetics and Family History: Having a family member, especially a parent or grandparent, with diabetes increases your risk as certain gene mutations are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle factors often play a key role in preventing disease onset and progression.
- Overweight and Obesity: Being overweight is a major risk factor for Diabetes. Abdominal fat can be dangerous as this is directly associated with insulin resistance, where the body doesn’t respond to insulin properly, leading to elevated blood glucose levels.
- Age: The risk of diabetes increases with age, particularly after the age of 45. As people get older, they tend to gain weight and become less physically active, which increases the risk of pre-diabetes.
- Physical Inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle contributes to insulin resistance. Regular physical activity helps your cells absorb glucose more efficiently, improving insulin sensitivity.
- Poor Diet: A diet high in processed foods, glucoses, and unhealthy fats greatly increases the risk of pre-diabetes. These foods cause blood glucose spikes, putting stress on insulin function and creating inflammation in the body.
- High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Individuals with high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol levels are more likely to develop diabetes, as these conditions are part of a group of diseases known as metabolic syndrome, a collection of risk factors that increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.
Understanding your predisposition to diabetes allows you to make informed decisions about your health. By managing weight, eating a healthy diet, and staying physically active, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you have a genetic predisposition.
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Prediabetes: Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes."
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). "Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes."
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/risk-factors-type-2-diabetes
