High-risk medical condition estimated to globally affect
482 million people by 2040
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a serious medical condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as full-blown type 2 diabetes. Without treatment, prediabetes significantly increases the risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes, a disease that takes six years off a person’s life, doubling the risk of fatal heart attack and stroke. Prediabetes is diagnosed in the same way as diabetes, using a simple blood test.
Estimate your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by taking the test below.
Why is prediabetes dangerous?
Studies have shown that over 70% of people with prediabetes will eventually develop diabetes[1]. Diabetes affects many major organs, including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys. Some of the potential disabling or even life-threatening complications of diabetes include:
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Nerve damage
- Kidney damage
- Sleep apnea
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Stroke
- Blindness
- Amputations
Research indicates that prediabetes is often associated with unrecognized heart attacks and can damage the kidneys, even if the condition has not yet progressed to type 2 diabetes[2].
The number of individuals with prediabetes is expected to grow substantially and estimated to globally affect 482 million people by 2040[3].
Progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes can be prevented if intervention is initiated early on.