Prediabetes can significantly impact quality of life

Even though prediabetes is a leading risk factor for diabetes and may predict cardiovascular disease and increased mortality, the degree of unawareness is very high with up to 85 per cent not being aware of their condition. Early diagnoses can help enable better treatment outcomes, better quality of life, and damaged nerves can be regenerated if nerve care damage has not progressed too far. 

- Dr Inna Eiberger

The term "prediabetes" refers to a glycemic state not yet exceeding the diagnostic threshold for diabetes and, thus, not yet considered 'diabetic'. Nevertheless, a person with prediabetes already shows signs of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and blood glucose levels slightly above normoglycemia.

1. Prediabetes usually progresses to diabetes but can fully resolve with appropriate lifestyle interventions.

2. Often, people with prediabetes do not have clear signs or symptoms and are therefore often not aware of their condition. However, severe complications such as nerve damage, leading to a disease called peripheral neuropathy (PN), can also develop within these patients already. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include numbness, tingling, prickling, and burning sensations in the hands and feet. Besides prediabetes, diabetes mellitus and B vitamins deficiencies are other high-risk factors leading to peripheral nerve damage, this risk is growing with increasing age. Further, B vitamins deficiency is highly prevalent in Diabetes patients (B1: 98 per cent; B6: 63 per cent; B12: up to 19 per cent)

Global prevalence