Prediabetes means that you have a higher than normal blood glucose level. It is not yet high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes, but without lifestyle changes, adults and children with prediabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes .
A new classification may help prevent the development of diabetes or the development of diabetes complications in the future through targeted prevention.
Six types
Not all prediabetes is the same: there would be six clearly distinguishable subtypes, which differ in the development of the disease , the risk of diabetes and the development of secondary diseases, as suggested by a study from the Research Institute of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases ( IDM) from Helmholtz Zentrum München; at the University of Tübingen, Tübingen University Hospital; and the German Diabetes Research Center (DZD).
The people who participated in the study came from the Tübingen Family Study and the Tübingen Lifestyle Program study. They have repeatedly undergone intensive clinical, laboratory chemical, MRI and genetic examinations in Tübingen over the past 25 years .
Based on key metabolic parameters such as blood glucose levels, liver fat, body fat distribution, blood lipid levels, and genetic risk, the researchers were able to identify six subtypes of prediabetes.
A differentiated classification of prediabetes and diabetes makes it possible to carry out individual and early prevention and therapy of diabetes and its secondary diseases in a way adapted to the development of the disease.