Around 7 million people are thought to have pre-diabetes in the UK, which puts people at high risk of going on to develop type 2 diabetes. With pre-diabetes having little to no symptoms, we explore practical things you can do to help reduce your risk.
What is pre-diabetes?
Pre-diabetes is when your blood sugar levels are abnormally high, but are not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. People with prediabetes face a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes unless they undertake proactive steps to improve their lifestyle and manage their weight effectively.
Type 2 diabetes is characterised by excess blood sugar levels, which can lead to a wide range of health complications, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage and eye problems. Currently, it’s estimated that over 4.8 million people are living with diabetes in the UK.
While sugar in our blood provides a vital source of energy for our cells, it is important that the amount we carry is maintained within healthy limits to avoid developing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
Ways to reduce your risk of pre-diabetes
Although pre-diabetes is common, it doesn’t have any significant symptoms, which makes it really tricky to identify that you have it. Because of this, it’s crucial to try and follow a healthy lifestyle where possible, to help prevent pre-diabetes occurring, but also to help reverse it if you do develop it. We’ll now explore six effective ways you can keep your blood sugar levels in check and significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Keep physically active on a regular basis – Working our muscles helps to increase our insulin sensitivity. This supports our body to draws sugar out of the blood, helping to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range. It also supports our cells to be more efficient at using sugar for energy, reducing the likelihood of excess sugar being stored as fat.
Try to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. The NHS also recommends two sessions of strength-building activities a week, which will support your muscles to use up blood sugar. Take a look at some examples of activities.
Follow a healthy balanced diet – Although there isn’t a ‘special diet’ for those at risk of type 2 diabetes, sticking to a healthy balanced diet in general can help to mitigate risk. This involves eating a diet made up of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, legumes and lean protein.
Diabetes UK recommends reducing your intake of sugar sweetened drinks, red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates (such as sugary snacks and cereals, and white bread) and potatoes (in particular french fries). Avoiding things like refined sugars can help prevent sugar flooding your blood stream after you’ve eaten. Read more about eating healthy to avoid diabetes here.
Maintain a healthy weight – For most adults, a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 25 means you are in the healthy range. BMI is a measure of whether you’re a healthy weight for your height. The NHS advises that if you have an Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean family background you’ll need to use a lower BMI score to measure your healthy weight range. For example, a BMI of between 23 – 27.4 would put you in the overweight category.
If you have a very muscular build, it may be more useful to take a waist measurement, as a BMI score can’t tell the difference between muscle and fat. Carrying extra weight, especially around the abdomen, reduces your insulin sensitivity, which can affect your body’s ability to control blood sugar levels.
Avoid smoking – Smoking is a risk factor for insulin resistance, which as mentioned previously can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. If you go on to develop type 2 diabetes, smoking only adds to your risk of developing things such as heart disease, stoke or circulation problems. Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Find out more about support to help stop smoking.
Manage your stress levels – Diabetes UK state that stress doesn’t directly cause diabetes, but it can affect your blood sugar levels. Stress triggers the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can increase blood sugar levels, and lead to insulin resistance. Experiencing stress over prolonged periods of time can keep your blood sugar levels high – increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Stress can also impact our eating habits and level of physical activity. For example, we may feel less inclined to exercise when stressed, or we may reach for unhealthy food choices. For this reason stress can have knock-on effects on other behaviours that contribute towards an increase risk of pre-diabetes. Adopting stress management strategies can help you to manage stress in a healthy way. Take a look at some tips from the NHS.
Try to get good quality sleep – According to Sleep Foundation, getting poor sleep has been linked to high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and pre-diabetes – although we don’t fully understand if one causes the other yet.
Around one in two people with type 2 diabetes have sleep problems due to unstable blood sugar levels and other symptoms related to diabetes. A lack of sleep could also lead to knock-on effects, such as feeling more stressed, reaching for sugary snacks, and feeling less motivated to exercise. Take a look at these tips on getting better sleep.
Taking a proactive approach
It’s hard to know whether you have pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, and often it’s only detected with a simple blood test to measure your blood sugar levels.
If you’re aged 40 to 74 it’s worth checking with your GP surgery if you’re eligible for an NHS Health Check. This is a free health screen which looks at whether you’re at higher risk of developing health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. An appointment will take just 20-30 minutes, and could end up being the best thing you did this year for your health and wellbeing!
Further support
Diabetes UK – Information about pre-diabetes. You can also contact their helpline with any queries.
NHS – Tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Diabetes UK – Spotting the signs of type 2 diabetes.
Sources:
www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity
www.diabetes.co.uk/pre-diabetes.html
Ref: WPW0292 This information was published June 2024.
