Prediabetes is raising a public health concern, which experts say changing lifestyle, lack of awareness and physical exercise are the causes of it. On the last World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2019, about 1.3 million people went under diabetes test across the country with 26 percent of the results showing they had prediabetes, said Dr Mohammad Saif Uddin, secretary general of Diabetes Association Bangladesh (DAB).
“These 26 percent did not know that they had a prediabetes condition and it is a matter of concern,” he added.
One of the few methods used to diagnose diabetes or prediabetes is the 'Hemoglobin A1c' or HA1c test.
The HA1c test gauges average blood sugar levels over a period of 2-3 months by measuring how much glucose is attached to red blood cells
If blood sugar levels goes up to 6.5 or 5 percent, the condition will be called diabetes whereas if it remain between 5.7 to 6.8 percent, then that condition will be considered prediabetes.
Specialists said, prediabetes could hide in the human body for more than a half year before it takes the full form of diabetes.
Obesity and lack of physical activity are often attributed to have caused prediabetes with environmental challenges and unhealthy urbanization are also found to be influential. According to specialists, curing prediabetes is possible though most people are not aware of it.
If diagnosed, prevention of 70-80 percent people with prediabetes is possible, Dr Saif Uddin.
Dr Shahzada Selim, an associate professor of endocrinology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said prediabetes often remain undetected at early phase and it eventually turns into diabetes.
There are no specific symptoms and regular checkups should be carried out, she advised.
“There is no alternative to raising awareness on prediabetes,” said Dr Saif Uddin.
State of diabetics in Bangladesh
According to the World Diabetes Federation (WDF), about 70 million people in Bangladesh suffer from diabetes.
Dr Shahzada, however, claimed about 50 percent of the country’s total diabetic patients have been identified so far.
“The rest do not realize that they suffer from it.
“What is more concerning is that 60 percent of the diabetes patients identified in the country had prediabetes,” Dr Shahzada added.