Borderline Diabetes Is Affecting Millions of People Every Year

It can send a chill up anyone’s spine being informed by your physician that you have borderline diabetes. This is a disease that can literally alter your life. But, each year, hundreds of thousands of patients go through that scenario. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes continually rises. At present, there are more than 18 million known case of diabetes in the U.S. It’s calculated that there are somewhere around 6 million more people that have diabetes and are not aware of it. Diabetes remains a serious health problem costing patients billions of dollars in health care every year.

Borderline diabetes, also known as pre-diabetes, is a condition where a person has higher glucose levels than normal, but not enough to be diagnosed as diabetic. What are the the symptoms of borderline diabetes? For many people this is a symptom-free disease, so most people with pre-diabetes are unaware that they have. In a person without diabetes, the body will produce insulin to help the cells break down food into energy. In diabetics and pre-diabetics, however,  either the body is unable to create insulin or it is unable to utilize the insulin. This is one reason why people with borderline diabetes tend to be tired much of the time. They are eating, but their body is unable to break down the food into usable energy.

A lot of physicians have discontinued using the terminology borderline diabetes to describe this condition. The way they see it, a person who exhibits the symptoms of pre-diabetes is, in fact diabetic. and they see no real medical reason to confuse the situation. many also feel that telling someone that they have borderline diabetes inhibits the person from taking diagnosis seriously – because “borderline” sound as if you don’t really have a disease. Others doctors feel that the condition of these patients is more precisely described as insulin resistant or impaired glucose tolerance. Other doctors, however, still use the term and find it helpful to maintain the distinction between pre-diabetes and diabetes.

For those in the medical field that continue to use the term, borderline diabetes is diagnosed when a person’s glucose level, as determined by glucose tests, fall between 100 to 125 milligrams per deciliter.

Unfortunately, in most cases, a person who has borderline diabetes will see the disease progress to diabetes. In some cases, however, with a change of eating habits and other healthy lifestyle changes, the disease will be reversed.

According to many health experts, pre-diabetes is a preventable disease. Studies have shown a distinct correlation between the increase in the amount of fast foods that we eat and the new incidences of type II diabetes. Likewise, there is a correlation between our increasingly sedentary lifestyles with increases in the number of people diagnosed with diabetics. Making the defeat of diabetes even more urgent is that a person with pre-diabetes or diabetes is at greater risk for a host of other diseases including heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and more.

Fortunately, scientists and researchers have started to discover and catalog the many risk factors that predispose one towards getting diabetes. They are hopeful that, in the near future, diabetes will be looked upon as disease of the past.

Possible metabolic problems for obese diabetics

Possible metabolic problems for obese diabetics

If you are considered obese, especially with an above average amount of abdominal fat
and are insulin resistant, you may have what is known as metabolic syndrome.  It is
important to note that you can be insulin resistance and not actually have diabetes – yet.  
If you are insulin resistant you may be what is termed pre-diabetes.

If you are insulin resistant, your body is not using the insulin your pancreas is producing
effectively.  Your pancreas will continue to produce more and more insulin but your body
will not use it and cannot derive the energy from the food you eat.  This condition can be
passed on from another member of the family but it is also caused by obesity and
inactivity.

As with diabetes, the risk factors for having metabolic problems – metabolic syndrome –
are quite similar.  Age is a risk factor, the older you are the chances of having this are
greater.  Almost half of the people with metabolic syndrome are over the age of 60 but
symptoms have been seen in children and adults in their 20’s.  Another risk factor for
having this syndrome is race, people from a Hispanic or Asian backgrounds are at a
higher risk than others.    And as mentioned there is also the hereditary factory.

Being obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25 is a factor too.  The difference
with this factor from the others is that most people have an element of control over this.  
If they are able to lose weight and exercise they can reduce or eliminate this contributor
towards metabolic syndrome.

If you are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, your doctor will run screening tests for
diabetes. He or she will also recommend or put your on a program to lose weight through
a healthy and balanced diet coupled with physical activity.

Lowering Blood Sugar Is Important In Those At Risk Of Diabetes

Many people struggle to control their weight.  However, while they are going on and off various diets, they fail to realize that they are also struggling to control blood sugar.  Actually, the cause of blood-sugar problems may be weight problems, as being overweight and having blood sugar problems tend to go hand in hand.  Too many blood sugar swings during the day tend to increase hunger jags, snacking, and overeating.  When you overeat, you’re much more likely to add on the pounds, setting the stage for obesity, pre-diabetes, and full blown diabetes. 

Sadly, both pre-diabetes and overweight have become modern epidemics that are out of control, with two of every three Americans being overweight and over 100 million people having some signs of pre-diabetes.  Both of these illnesses are nutritional disorders that result from eating too many unhealthful foods.  However, there is good news: you can reverse pre-diabetes and control your weight.

One can self-diagnose pre-diabetes by looking for the most visible symptom: being chubby or fat around the waist.  Other clues are cravings sweets and starchy foods, not being hungry at breakfast, and feeling tired or mentally fuzzy after lunch.  Many physicians diagnose pre-diabetes when a patient’s fasting blood sugar falls between 100 and 124 mg/dl.  There are several dietary factors that significantly increase the risk of overweight.  Some of these being: too many calories, too many refined carbs, especially sugars, and too many unhealthful oils. 

The average woman needs about 1,600 calories and the typical man needs about 2,000 calories daily, but the average American now consumes 3,900 calories each day, making it difficult to burn off all these calories and causing the accumulation of body fat.  Because most excess calories take form of refined carbs and sugars, which are digested rapidly, rapid or extreme spikes in blood sugar levels, elevated insulin levels, and bouts of hunger result, which stimulate low blood sugar.  Trans fats, which are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, interfere with the body’s processing of fats and often lead to weight gain.  Most of these problematic calories are found in fast foods, microwave foods, and other types of convenience foods, which are all best if they are avoided. 

Even though pre-diabetes can be scary, it’s actually an opportunity to improve your eating habits and regain your health.  To improve your health you can emphasize quality protein, emphasize high-fiber vegetables and fruits, include grapefruit in your diet, use more vinegar, and add some cinnamon.  Since protein stabilizes and safely lowers blood sugar levels, be sure to start each day with some protein with breakfast and eat a little protein with each meal. 

Most veggies and fruits are rich in fiber, which helps to lower blood sugar, so opt for salads and steamed broccoli while avoiding crutons, potatoes, bananas, and pears.  Despite the calories, eating fresh grapefruit can help in weight reduction.  The acetic acid in vinegar can also help to improve blood sugar and insulin levels, reduce appetite, and help with weight loss.  Adding cinnamon has also been shown to reduce blood sugar levels.  There are also several supplements that have exceptional value in improving insulin function or lowering blood sugar levels.  These include lipoic acid, chromium, silymarin, omega-3 fish oils, vitamin D, and Pycnogenol. 

You can also enhance the benefits of diet and supplements by increasing your physical activity as it helps build muscle and burn blood sugar and fat.  Tackling pre-diabetes can not only reduce your long-term risk for health problems, such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, but also can allow you to quickly gain more energy and feel less post-meal fatigue. The above mentioned supplements are available at your health food store.