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Pre-diabetes is a term used to describe people who are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), 41 million Americans have pre-diabetes. Although people with pre-diabetes may have no symptoms, studies have shown that most people with the condition develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. People with pre-diabetes are also at greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
The good news is that people with pre-diabetes can prevent getting type 2 diabetes and may even be able to return their blood sugar levels to normal. Just like people with type 2 diabetes, they need to make changes to eat healthier and get more exercise.
Understand the numbers
There are two different tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have pre-diabetes: The fasting plasma glucose test and the oral glucose tolerance test.
- Someone who has a fasting blood glucose between 100 and 125 mg/dL is said to have “impaired fasting glucose.”
- Someone who has blood glucose levels between 140 and 199 mg/dL, two hours after taking an oral glucose tolerance test, is said to have “impaired glucose tolerance.”
If your doctor tells you that you have pre-diabetes, he or she may use either of these terms. Ask your doctor for your exact results.
Who is at risk for pre-diabetes?
Ask your doctor about getting tested for pre-diabetes if you are:
- Age 45 or older
- Overweight, younger than age 45 with one or more of the following risk factors:
- Family history of diabetes
- Not physically active
- Low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- African American, American Indian, Hispanic American/Latino, or Asian American/Pacific Islander
If you take action to manage your blood sugar when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Also, new studies are under way to test the ability of some medicines to delay or prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Dealing with pre-diabetes
To treat pre-diabetes, your doctor will probably want you to lose some weight (5 to 10 percent of total body weight) through diet and moderate exercise, such as walking, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Even if you can’t reach your ideal body weight, a loss of just 10 to 15 pounds can make a difference.
If you have pre-diabetes, you’re at increased risk for heart disease or stroke, so your doctor may wish to treat or counsel you about cardiovascular risk factors, such as tobacco use, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
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