Researchers Give Recommendations on How to Improve Diagnosis, Treatment of Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition that occurs when an individual’s blood sugar levels aren’t high enough to meet the type 2 diabetes threshold but are still higher than normal. Experts believe that when the condition is diagnosed while in its early stages, regular exercise and changes to an individual’s lifestyle may delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes as well as the heightened risks the disease poses for kidney failure, stroke, heart disease and nerve damage.

However, it is unlikely that people in the United States with prediabetes are being diagnosed and treated in the early stages to prevent the disease’s progression. To help with this, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine conducted an analysis of insurance claims data and electronic health records in an effort to better understand prediabetes patients. They then gave recommendations on what could be done to improve prediabetes care based on the information they obtained.

For their study, they analyzed data from more than 3,800 patients, finding that more 12% had been formally diagnosed with prediabetes and prescribed Metformin, a medication that helps prevent type 2 diabetes development, or referred for nutrition therapy.

The researchers, led by assistant professor of medicine Eva Tseng, also assessed follow-up care that prediabetes patients received over a five-year period, which included whether they had their A1C levels tested repeatedly. This test measures an individual’s average blood glucose. Normal A1C levels are below 5.7. However, patients with prediabetes have an A1C level of between 5.7-6.4.

In addition to this, the researchers looked into whether patients were diagnosed and medically coded for prediabetes and whether they had begun Metformin therapy or were referred to a nutritionist. The researchers’ findings are similar to what prior research by other scientists has discovered.

In the report, Tseng explained that 6% of evaluated patients developed type 2 diabetes within a year, which is similar to other studies, noting that these were individuals who would have been prevented from developing diabetes. She added that their results had demonstrated that there was significant room to improve how individuals with prediabetes were identified and cared for in the health system, recommending that these patients be screened for prediabetes and then discuss treatment options with their care providers if they received a diagnosis.

The researchers plan to use their findings to guide the improvement of the prediabetes care model for the health system, which can then be used by other health systems. Their study’s findings were published in the “Journal of General Internal Medicine.”

For some people, lifestyle changes may not be sufficient to halt the progression to full-blown diabetes. In such a case, interventions including the glucose-monitoring devices made by entities such as Nemaura Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: NMRD) can be considered.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Nemaura Medical Inc. (NASDAQ: NMRD) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/NMRD

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