The Relationship Between Glucose Intolerance and Prediabetes

Since 2015, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has treated patients as an internal medicine physician at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut. Dr. Rex Mahnensmith previously served as a full-time geriatric physician from 2014 to 2015 with Genesis Physician Services and was the clinical director of nephrology at the Yale School of Medicine from 1992 to 2014. Dr. Mahnensmith has received numerous awards as a professor and researcher and is the author of more than 20 original articles, many of which focus on kidney disease.

One of the common causes of kidney disease is diabetes mellitus, a condition involving poor blood glucose control. However, before diabetes develops patients may experience glucose intolerance.

Glucose intolerance occurs when the blood sugar remains above 100 mg/dL for more than two hours after eating or drinking or if it rises above 140 mg/dL. It occurs when the cells and tissues are unable to use ingested glucose to produce energy due to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production within the body. People with diabetes mellitus also experience insulin resistance and reduced insulin production, but to a much greater extent than people with glucose intolerance.

Glucose intolerance is considered a prediabetic condition, since 25 to 50 percent of people with the condition will eventually develop diabetes. Prediabetes has been associated with reduced life span and health complications including organ dysfunction, eye disease, and cardiovascular problems.

The Prediabetic Health Impact of Glucose Intolerance

Dr. Rex Mahnensmith is a respected Waterbury, Connecticut, physician who treats chronic kidney disease cases at the StayWell Health Center. In a paper authored by Dr. Rex Mahnensmith, he examined glucose intolerance as a prediabetic condition.

Utilized by human tissues in generating energy, glucose is ready to absorb through the blood stream once it is broken down by the intestines from starches. Following absorption, glucose is transported to specific cells, tissues, and organs with the assistance of insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas. The secretion of the glucose ­transport hormone insulin is triggered by glucose surges in the bloodstream. 

Glucose intolerance arises when glucose levels rise above 140 mg/dL or stay at a level higher than 100 mg/dL for more than two hours following ingestion. With the body unable to tolerate the load of glucose placed on it within a specific timeframe, the glucose ingested is not utilized completely by tissues and cells for production of energy. 

Glucose intolerance is tied to the development of diabetes mellitus in many patients and has serious ramifications. The reason for this has to do with the way in which glucose molecules unused for energy production ultimately bind toxically with blood vessel walls and cell membranes, and result in adverse reactions and microscopic scarring.

What Is Glucose Intolerance?

Internal medicine physician Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has specialized in primary care for more than three decades. Since 2015, Dr. Rex Mahnensmith has been providing full-time primary care at StayWell Health Center in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Glucose intolerance is a condition where the level of glucose in a person’s bloodstream rises above 140 mg or remains above 100 mg more than two hours after the ingestion of glucose. Normally, after eating, the blood glucose concentration rises from below 100 mg to about 110 or 120 mg. The glucose is then transferred into cells and tissues by insulin in approximately 60 to 90 minutes. It is then utilized by our organs as energy or stored as glycogen. 

In a case of glucose intolerance, however, the body does not handle the glucose intake in the normal time frame. Thus, the ingested glucose is not fully used up by the cells and tissues for energy. This condition occurs as a result of insufficient secretion of insulin or resistance to its action. While not diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance can be regarded as a prediabetic condition and requires swift action and remedy.