he DREAM Trial was an international clinical trial that sought to prove type 2 diabetes can be prevented with ramipril and rosiglitazone medication. The participants in the DREAM Trial had to have higher than normal blood sugars but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.

The aim of the study was to see if diabetes could be prevented in those at risk.

Although the preliminary results are in indicating there is a 70 percent chance of preventing diabetes with rosiglitazone, it is still unclear as to whether rosiglitazone simply controlled the blood sugars.

It waits to be seen after, being off the medication for several months, whether in fact rosiglitazone prevents type 2 diabetes.

What we do know is that diabetes is serious and the longer one has diabetes the more chance there is of not only developing complications but also of the pancreas (which is where insulin is made) simply wearing out with the result of needing to be on insulin to control blood sugars.

The importance of diagnosing ?pre-diabetes? is now well recognised thanks to such trials as the DREAM Trial. Treating pre diabetes may prevent type 2 diabetes as well as prevent the complications associated with type 2 diabetes, such as heart and blood vessel disease and eye and kidney disease.

We now know that the complications associated with diabetes occurs long before the diagnosis of diabetes is made.

It is important that people get tested for diabetes especially if they have the risk factors.

Family history of type 2 diabetes

Women who had gestational diabetes or who have had a baby weighing more than 9 lbs at birth

Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome.

High risk ethnic groups such as North American Indians

Overweight especially around the abdomen

Underactive

Elevated blood cholesterol levels

Elevated blood pressure

Older people

If you have one or more of these risk factors you should make an appointment with your physician to have your blood glucose levels checked.

The sooner you find out that you have elevated blood sugar the sooner you can do something about it.

If you have an elevated waist measurement

Men- equal to or greater than 40 inches (102 cms)

Women -equal to or greater than 35 inches (88 cms)

Elevated blood pressure -higher than 130/85

Elevated fasting glucose then you are at increased risk for developing diabetes and should seek advice on how to change your lifestyle so that those risk factors do not turn into diabetes.

Pre-diabetes can be diagnosed by either a fasting blood sugar or by an oral glucose tolerance test which involves the drinking of 75 gm of glucose. If your fasting blood sugar or oral glucose tolerance test is abnormal then this suggests pre-diabetes.

A normal fasting blood sugar should be less than 100 mg/dl. Pre-diabetes is a fasting blood sugar between 100mg/dl and 125 mg/dl.

Diabetes is diagnosed when the fasting blood sugar is higher than 126mg/dl.

If your blood sugar 2 hours after a 75 gm glucose drink is between 140 and 199 mg/dl then this suggests pre diabetes while a blood sugar of over 200 mg/dl 2 hours after the glucose drink suggests diabetes.

Therefore, if you have any of the listed risk factors make an appointment to see your doctor and get tested.

The sooner you are tested and pre diabetes is diagnosed the easier it is to treat.