PREDIABETES …WHEN LAST DID YOU CHECK YOUR BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL ?
By Abanobi Nkachukwu .N
“An apple a day keeps the Doctor away”. This sentence is least-likely, dangerous to diabetics, prediabetics, and may be worse for individuals who have one or more of diabetes risk factors (e.g. obesity, poor lifestyle habits, genetic predisposition) and are unaware of their status.
While diabetes occurs in 3 different types and at different life stages (eg: gestational diabetes), Type II diabetes which was mostly recorded in adults (≥45 years) can now be seen in adolescents. Also, prediabetes, proven to be a sub-stage of later onset type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Andes et al., 2019), is prevalent in over 45 year olds, and can also be seen in adolescent age intervals.
The diagnosis is “an elevated plasma glucose, where the threshold for diabetes has not yet been reached”, or “blood sugar levels that deviate from normal range, but not high enough (yet) to be diagnosed as type II diabetes (fasting blood glucose between 110 and 125 mg/d; 6.1–6.9 mmol/L)”. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that worldwide,
- 1 out of 5; 12-18 year old is at risk of developing prediabetes;
- 1 out of 4; 19 -34 year old is a prediabetic; and
- Over 84% are unaware of their prediabetic condition.
Today is World Diabetes Day, note that: To achieve a prevention strategy for self and community incidence, against prediabetes and its progression to diabetes status in Africa, prompt identification of at-risk individuals and behavioural modification is a priority.
Therefore, I ask:
“ When was the last time you checked your blood sugar level ?”
