Most people with prediabetes are not aware of their health condition, putting them at high risk of diabetes (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Most people with prediabetes are not aware oftheir health condition, putting them at high risk of diabetes, health expertswarned.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, about 5.3 million people inVietnam have prediabetes, accounting for 8.6 percent of the total population.
The number of people with prediabetes is 1.4 times higher than the number ofpeople with diabetes.
Studies show that about 11 percent of people with prediabetes turn intodiabetes patients annually.
About 15-30 percent of people with prediabetes would suffer diabetes in fiveyears and up to 50 percent in 10 years.
It is predicted that by 2045, about 7.9 million in Vietnam will haveprediabetes which is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higherthan normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
The figures were unveiled at an event organised by Vietnam Association ofDiabetes & Endocrinology and Merck Export GmbH Vietnam (Merck Vietnam) toraise public awareness of prediabetes and in response to World Diabetes Day(November 14).
At the event, president of the association Tran Huu Dang said early detectionand intervention for people with prediabetes could help reduce diabetes cases.
Moreover, early detection and treatment would help avoid the disease’simplications, reduce medical costs and improve quality of life, Dang said.
However, he was very concerned that few people had a proper understanding ofprediabetes, resulting in a lack of awareness of the health conditions.
“Almost all people know they are living with prediabetes thanks to medicalcheckups, diabetes screening programmes or by accident when they undergomedical treatment for other diseases,” Dang said.
“It’s time to consider prediabetes – a medical danger that needs to be warned,”he said.
Prediabetes doesn't usually have any signs or symptoms. Many risk factors canincrease chances of developing prediabetes including being overweight,inactive, having high blood pressure, having high cholesterol, havinga close family member with type 2 diabetes or giving birth to a baby weighingmore than 4kg.
However, prediabetes can be tackled through positive changes in lifestyle likea healthy diet, increased physical exercise and not smoking.
If changed lifestyle fails to control blood sugar levels, people withprediabetes need to take medicine for 3-6 months.
According to statistics from the International Diabetes Federation, Vietnam has3.53 million people living with diabetes, and 80 deaths due to diabetes complicationsper day.
Diabetes has reportedly started to harm more and more young people,
Associate Professor Ta Van Binh, former director of the National Hospital ofEndocrinology and former head of the National Institute of Diabetes andMetabolic Disorders, said that about 30 years ago, it was rare to find a40-year-old type 2 diabetes patient.
However, now, the average age of diabetes patients around the world is 40 yearsold. More young people are being diagnosed with diabetes, with the disease evenaffecting patients aged between 15 and 20./.
VNA
