New pre-diabetes guidelines

Treatment and diagnosis of type two diabetes has been well studied, but little is known about the condition that leads to the disease, called pre-diabetes.

Now doctors are trying to change that.

Members of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists created recommendations for the treatment of people with pre-diabetes.  It’s a condition where a person’s blood glucose is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diabetes.

They say patients who are obese, those with metabolic syndrome, those with a family history of the disease, and women who had gestational diabetes should have their glucose checked.

Any cardiovascular problems patients have should be addressed, as they may be a risk factor for type two diabetes.

Experts say lifestyle changes should be the first line of defense, and then medication if that doesn’t work.