A TV doctor has revealed simple steps people can take which can actually reverse what is known as prediabetes. Dr Amir Khan, who regularly appears on ITV’s Lorraine spoke out on his Instagram page, and was speaking about those who are heading in the direction of suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
This condition is extremely serious and is a common condition that causes the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood to become too high. It can cause symptoms like excessive thirst, needing to pee a lot and tiredness. Many people have no symptoms.
It increases your risk of getting serious problems with your eyes, feet, heart and nerves. The regular on Good Morning Britain explained how people who have elevated blood sugar levels but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes are called prediabetics.
He said: “Most people who have been diagnosed with prediabetes won’t have had any symptoms, and it’s most likely it will have been picked up on a screening blood test if you are high risk, or you may have been tested for other things and it was picked up opportunistically. We usually do a test called an HbA1C when we’re looking for diabetes or pre-diabetes.
“This gives us your average blood sugar reading over the previous 2 to 3 months. So it’s not a snapshot or single reading of what your sugar is doing at the time of the blood test, but rather an average of what it has been doing over the last 10 or 12 weeks. This is a far more accurate way than a random glucose reading to check your sugars. Normal HbA1C is 41 or below. Type 2 diabetes is above 48, and pre-diabetes is at 42 to 47 level. Things like your ethnicity and genetics, body fat levels, physical inactivity, eating processed and ultra-processed foods, certain medications, sleep quality, smoking, medical conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome and gestational diabetes all increase the risk of pre-diabetes.”
Doctor Khan said that it was vital for people to know that it is possible to stop getting full-blown Type 2 diabetes with five simple tips. He said: “But what’s important to note is that if you have pre-diabetes, it is not inevitable that you will develop type 2 diabetes, and you should do all that you can to get your sugars back in that normal range.”
Dr Khan’s top five tips are:
1/ Lose weight: “One study revealed that losing 7% of your weight can reduce the onset of type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58%.”
2/ Exercise. Dr Khan said: “Exercise helps you use up that excess sugar in your blood and improves how well your insulin works. A single session of moderate intensity exercise can increase glucose uptake from your blood and into your muscles by at least 40%. So find something you enjoy doing and do it regularly.”
3/ Swap out added and refined sugars. He said: “It’s best to speak to a dietician or nutritionist about what foods will work best for you, but eating more complex carbohydrates, vegetables, and lean proteins is the best way forward.“
4/ Don’t smoke. Dr Khan explained: “Number 4, quit smoking. This will significantly improve your health and reduces the risk of pre-diabetes going on to type 2 diabetes.”
5/ Manage your stress and get good quality sleep. Dr Khan said: “Both have been linked to reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes by improving the way your body responds to insulin. But remember, if you’re worried, always speak to a healthcare professional.”