The prediabetes conundrum: striking the balance between risk and resources

MB Blond, K Færch, C Herder, D Ziegler… - Diabetologia, 2023 - Springer
Diabetologia, 2023Springer
The current definition of prediabetes is controversial and subject to continuous debate.
Nonetheless, prediabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, is highly prevalent and is
associated with diabetic complications and mortality. Thereby, it has the potential to become
a huge strain on healthcare systems in the future, necessitating action from legislators and
healthcare providers. But how do we best reduce its associated burden on health? As a
compromise between differing opinions in the literature and among the authors of this …
Abstract
The current definition of prediabetes is controversial and subject to continuous debate. Nonetheless, prediabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, is highly prevalent and is associated with diabetic complications and mortality. Thereby, it has the potential to become a huge strain on healthcare systems in the future, necessitating action from legislators and healthcare providers. But how do we best reduce its associated burden on health? As a compromise between differing opinions in the literature and among the authors of this article, we suggest stratifying individuals with prediabetes according to estimated risk and only offering individual-level preventive interventions to those at high risk. At the same time, we argue to identify those with prediabetes and already established diabetes-related complications and treat them as we would treat individuals with established type 2 diabetes.
Graphical abstract
Springer