Prediabetes, which often precedes the development of type 2 diabetes, affects one in three Britons. It is a figure in full explosion which worries the researchers.
More than one in three Britons suffers from prediabetes. This represents three times the population concerned in 2003, according to a study published on June 9 in the BMJ Open. This disorder, which is characterized by a blood sugar between 5.7 and 6.4%, is exploding. We must act as soon as possible, alert researchers from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom), because it often progresses to type 2 diabetes.
Age and BMI: two risk factors
Prediabetes is characterized by a high level of glucose in the blood, but not enough for diabetes to develop. However, it presents a significant risk to health: affected patients are more at risk of vascular disorders, kidney disease, damage to the retina and nerves… Not to mention that 5 to 10% of prediabetics develop diabetes each year. It is therefore a health time bomb that is taking shape across the Channel. “This rapid increase was particularly surprising and suggests that, if left unchecked, there will be a huge increase in the prevalence of diabetes,” warns Professor Arch Mainous III, lead author of the study.
Several risk factors are associated with prediabetes. This study shows that, despite a stagnation in BMI in the country, other metabolic indicators are in the red. This is the case of arterial hypertension which increased by 2 points in 2011 (22.5%) and cholesterol which stagnated at 27%. If the socioeconomic level is not indicative of the risk of prediabetes, age and BMI are. Thus, 35% of adults are affected … but also more than half of those 40 and over. The same goes for weight: the more the BMI increases, the more the number of patients with prediabetes increases. “This study is an important signal: we must take action to improve our diet and our lifestyle. If we do not do this, many people will live in less good health and for a shorter period of time, ”insists Professor Richard Baker, co-author of the study.
10 to 15% of French people
The reasons for such an explosion are still obscure. However, researchers point to suspect number 1: the rise in obesity since the end of the 1990s. The alert must also be taken seriously in France. According to the DESIR study (Epidemiological Data on Insulin Resistance Syndrome), 10 to 15% of French people have prediabetes. Fortunately, the solutions have also all been found, underlines Professor Mainous: “We know that prediabetes is a major risk for the development of diabetes. We also know that medication or lifestyle interventions work in preventing diabetes. It is much better to stop diabetes before it develops. There is no secret to this: doctors must better detect prediabetes, taking into account the risk factors. But patients must also do their part: regular physical activity, a balanced diet in reasonable quantities, allow them to maintain optimal metabolic health.
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