Frequently Asked Questions
What is Prediabetes?
If you have prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are now rising higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. You may also hear prediabetes referred to as “borderline diabetes.” It is likely that this process of gradually rising blood glucose has been going on slowly for a number of years.
Why Does It Matter?
Having prediabetes is an early indicator of metabolic trouble, signaling that you are at increased risk for future type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other complications. It means that you may be on a path to diabetes, although this isn’t inevitable. Current research suggests that slightly more than 50% of people with prediabetes will eventually progress to type 2 diabetes. Some risk factors for type 2 diabetes are beyond your control, such as your increasing age and family history. However, you have the power to reduce or eliminate many other risk factors during the prediabetes stage. So, try to look at prediabetes as an opportunity or an early warning flag to make changes now so that you don’t end up with type 2 diabetes.
How is it Diagnosed?
Prediabetes can be formally diagnosed by three methods: Fasting blood glucose of 5.6 mmol/L to 6.9 mmol/L (100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dl) (Normal fasting blood glucose is less than 5.6 mmol/L/100 mg/dL) “Fasting” blood glucose (also known as blood sugar) is measured after going without any food or beverages (other than water) for at least 10 hours. It is usually a blood test taken in the lab first thing in the morning. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 5.7% to 6.4% (Normal HbA1c is 5.6% or less) HbA1c is a blood test taken in the lab that is an estimation of your blood glucose levels over a period of two to three months. It’s determined by measuring the amount of glucose that has accumulated in your red blood cells, which live about two to three months. Impaired oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results of 7.8 mmol/L to 11.1 mmol/L (140 mg/dL to 199 mg/dL) (Normal OGTT results are less than 7.8 mmol/L/140 mg/dL) The OGTT is a two-hour test that measures your blood sugar levels before and two hours after drinking a solution with 75 grams of glucose. Because it is more time-consuming and complex, the OGTT is used less often to diagnose prediabetes than the first two methods, which require only a simple blood draw. If your results fall within the ranges listed above for one or more of these tests, you can be diagnosed with prediabetes. If your results are higher than these levels, you will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Other Ways to Tell
If you don’t have recent lab values indicating that you have prediabetes, there are other signs to look for. These include:
Insulin Resistance & Metabolic Syndrome
Having two or more of the signs listed above suggests that you have insulin resistance.
Who's At Higher Risk?
Several factors can increase your risk for developing prediabetes and therefore future type 2 diabetes.. These include:
Why it’s Important to Start Making Changes Now
As mentioned earlier, not everyone who has prediabetes will end up with type 2 diabetes and its complications. However, high blood sugar and high insulin levels can lead to health problems during the prediabetes stage – before any symptoms occur. These include damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Having blood sugar that is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, can also increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes. The good news is, by making changes now, you can dramatically lower your risk for developing these health issues and prevent type 2 diabetes.
What Can You Do?
Being diagnosed with prediabetes can be upsetting and cause you to worry about the future. But it’s important to keep in mind that you have the power to turn it around. Making changes to the way you eat, move, and take care of yourself can help you reverse the path to type 2 diabetes – as well as improve your overall health and quality of life. Continue to explore this site for more details on how to reverse your type 2 diabetes prognosis.
