While by 2040 the number of people with type 2 diabetes could reach up to 12 million, German researchers have just identified six different forms of prediabetes. Enough to allow better prevention of the disease and its complications.
The prediabetic phase, a period that can last for many years
Since 1980, the number of people with diabetes has quadrupled worldwide. Among the different types of diabetes, type 2 diabetes is the most common of the three types of diabetes in France. Characterized by insulin resistance, patients with this disease suffer from hyperglycemia. But before being diagnosed, patients can sometimes wait years. This is because type 2 diabetes does not appear overnight.
This is precisely what Professor Hans-Ulrich Häring, behind the study, explains: “ For people with prediabetes, it has so far not been possible to predict whether they will develop diabetes and be at risk for serious complications such as kidney failure, or whether they will only have a harmless form. with slightly higher blood sugar but without significant risk “.
The six different forms of prediabetes discovered
To define the different prediabetic phases, Professor Hans-Ulrich Häring and his team of German doctors from the University Hospital of Tübingen, in collaboration with two research centers specializing in diabetology, based themselves on the close analysis of physiological characteristics. of 899 volunteers who have undergone medical examinations for almost 25 years. Based on key metabolic parameters such as blood sugar, liver fat, body fat distribution, blood lipid levels, and genetic risk, the researchers were able to identify six subtypes of prediabetes.
Groups 1 and 2 correspond to thin people without insulin problems. Group 3 is made up of patients who are not overweight but who do not secrete enough insulin. Group 4 includes people who are overweight but whose metabolism is relatively healthy. Group 5 includes individuals considered obese and whose level of fat around the liver is high (pronounced fatty liver disease). Finally, group 6 corresponds to people suffering from obesity and whose visceral fat rate is high. The researchers concluded that groups 1, 2 and 4 are characterized by a low risk of diabetes while the other three (groups 3, 5 and 6) are associated with an increased risk of diabetes and / or secondary diseases.
Confirmed with the help of a second cohort of 7000 volunteers in England, this classification aims to prevent the manifestation of diabetes or the development of diabetes complications through targeted prevention.