Pre-diabetes concerns

Every fourth or fifth person in Kazakhstan is in a state of pre-diabetes, according to a recent study.

The results of the NOMAD study on the prevalence of prediabetes among the population were published November 2022 and the results provide a wake-up call for the country’s inhabitants. 

Worryingly symptom-free, pre-diabetes creates an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as diseases of the circulatory system, cardiovascular diseases and conditions affecting the nervous system.

While genetic predisposition and age can be causes, as a rule, it develops in people who are overweight, with an unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

In a screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, the Diabetes Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan examined the risks of more than 5,000 people over six cities. Almost 80% had prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, with an incidence in patients younger than 45 years at 38%.

Patients involved in the study had access to an education and information website - prediabet.kz - which provided detailed information along with tools to determine risk levels and get tested. 

It also advised that while prediabetes itself is a serious condition, it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. Early diagnosis, healthy lifestyle changes and fast treatment can achieve extremely positive outcomes.