Prediabetes: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

In the world, the number of patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders is steadily growing. Over the past 10 years, the number of patients with diabetes mellitus in the world has more than doubled. Moreover, there is not only an increase in the number of patients with diabetes mellitus, predominantly type 2 diabetes, but also with prediabetes. The term «prediabetes» means impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glycemia. To date, it is obvious that the development of prediabetes lead not only to the higher risk of diabetes mellitus in the future, but also of cardiovascular diseases. Factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with prediabetes includeare the following: insulin resistance, accompanied by arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia, and postprandial hyperglycemia. Therefore, it is very important to timely identify patients from the risk group, diagnose and treat carbohydrate metabolism disorders already at the stage of prediabetes. Also it is very important to identify the patients from the risk group, diagnose and treat carbohydrate metabolism disorders at the stage of prediabetes. Treatment of patients with prediabetes implies, first of all, lifestyle modification (moderate hypocaloric nutrition with predominant restriction of fats and simple carbohydrates and regular physical activity of moderate intensity) in order to reduce weight. If lifestyle changes are ineffective, drug therapy may be prescribed. The article discusses the studies conducted to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle modification, as well as various options for antihyperglycemic therapy (metformin, glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, orlistat) for the treatment of patients with prediabetes. It also provides data on long-term follow-up of patients with prediabetes who received different treatment options.