|  | Conditions Treatments | Diabetes

Pre-Diabetic Treatment

Pre-diabetes is the medical term for a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than the recommended level, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. According to Diabetes.org, patients with pre-diabetes who enter a Diabetes Prevention program develop diabetes within three years in 11 percent of cases. Treatment to avoid developing diabetes usually involves lifestyle changes and drug therapy.

  1. Treatment

    • Diabetes.org, says those with pre-diabetes can reduce their risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent if they make simple lifestyle changes. These changes include weight loss and increased exercise. Pre-diabetes also indicates an increased risk of stroke and heart disease that is 50 percent greater than the normal population.

      Other recommended changes may include quitting smoking and lowering cholesterol. In some cases, diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes can not only prevent elevated glucose levels from rising to the levels associated with Type 2 diabetes, but can actually cause the blood glucose levels to return to normal.

    Weight Loss & Exercise

    • Those with pre-diabetes are advised to lose between 5 to 10 percent of their body weight. Obviously, achieving your ideal weight will provide you with an even greater reduced risk, but Diabetes.org states that even this small loss in weight can dramatically reduce the risk of pre-diabetes becoming diabetes. Exercise recommendations include moderate exercise five days a week for at least 30 minutes.

    Drug Therapy

    • Studies by the American Diabetic Association suggest that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (such as ramipril) and statins (such as pravastatin) may help prevent pre-diabetes from becoming Type 2 diabetes. Insulin sensitizers (including thiazolidinediones and metformin) may also be useful. As of August 2009, additional studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Diabetes - Related Articles