Prediabetes

Abstract

Pre-diabetes is a metabolic condition characterized by insulin resistance and primary or secondary beta cell dysfunction which increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is used to describe the intermediate state of abnormal glucose metabolism in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet in the range necessary for diagnosis of diabetes. The concept of prediabetes arose in 1950’s when high perinatal mortality was reported in pregnancies before diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Prediabetes was included in the classification of glucose tolerance in the 1965 WHO Expert Committee Report on Diabetes Mellitus...JMS 2011;14(1):4-10.