A new research suggests that traditional Chinese herbal medicines hold promise for slowing the progression from prediabetes to an official diabetes diagnosis.
Prediabetes is diagnosed when an individual has developed elevated blood sugar levels, but glucose levels have not yet risen to the point of developing type 2 diabetes.
People who are prediabetic face a heightened risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease and stroke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 79 million American adults age 20 years or older have prediabetes.
"With diabetes evolving into a serious public health burden worldwide, it is crucial to take steps to stem the flood of cases," one of the study's authors, Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago, said.
"Patients often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects. Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments," the author said.
The research is set to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).