Medical Clinic

We will discuss - What is Prediabetes? Who is at risk, how to prevent Prediabetes? What is Prediabetes? Prediabetes - As the name suggests, Prediabetes is a stage prior to full blown onset of Diabetes. It is based on the glucose levels in the blood. When blood glucose, tested by Fasting Plasma Glucose or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test are found to be higher than normal but below Diabetes levels, the condition is called Prediabetes. This term is synonymous with Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) , but now preferred over IGT for easy understanding. Prediabetes - Facts

Complications of  Diabetes Mellitus  are serious and well known. Spectrum of Diabetic complications is vast, from being most trivial to life threatening.  Long term Diabetics are at very high risk of complications if they lack blood sugar control (more likely) and sometimes even otherwise (less likely). High BP and Cholesterol are the other two major harbingers. Inevitably Diabetics fall prey to its complications after several long yrs.  According to WHO,  Diabetes is predicted to become the seventh leading cause of death in the world by the year 2030. Total deaths from diabetes are projected to rise by more than 50% in the next 10 years.   Hence its very essential to have   proper   understanding and accurate knowledge of when to seek medical intervention. Specifically those who have co-existing diseases like Hypertension , Thyroid disorders or Heart diseases or Kidney problems  are at increased risk and should exercise extreme c...

Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus is based on testing of Glucose tolerance . Degree of glucose tolerance is determined by a fixed criteria. Based upon the degree of tolerance, results are grouped as normal glucose homeostasis, impaired glucose homeostasis or Diabetes Mellitus . Impaired glucose hemostasis is a condition also popularly known as Pre-Diabetes , Impaired Fasting Glucose IFG , Intermediate Hyperglycemia (WHO). The tests have to be often repeated once or twice to confirm the diagnosis as the disease has profound implications on future lifestyle of the patient.   Who should be be tested? Screening is recommended in following conditions.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a long standing disease affecting middle aged to elderly people. It  doubles the risk of having other Heart Diseases , Renal Failure  and  Peripheral Arterial Disease . Large proportion of people suffering from high blood pressure remain untreated. About 1 billion people today suffer from hypertension & by 2025, it is estimated every 1 in 4 people will be suffering from it. Approximately 8 million people die annually due to hypertension. According to Pubmed , " Blood pressure (BP) is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body ." It  varies according to the state of heart, contracting or relaxing, hence it is recorded in form of 2 measurements known as systolic, when the heart is contracting and diastolic when its relaxing. Normal blood pressure is 120 systolic, 80 diastolic written as 120/80.