Nearly 35% of US adults have prediabetes, including half of adults over 65 years of age.
Prediabetes is a serious medical condition. Persons with prediabetes have increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The good news is that diabetes can be prevented or delayed by making healthy lifestyle changes.
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Learn more about prediabetes
What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition where your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be classified as having type 2 diabetes. While persons in this situation do not have diabetes, it is still a dangerous condition. Without intervention, prediabetes is likely to become type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
If you have prediabetes you have a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, prediabetes will also increase your chance of having other health problems, such as heart disease and vision problems (retinopathy). Prediabetes is a warning sign to take action!
Am I at risk? Take the quiz.
If you aren't sure if you are at risk for prediabetes or not, you can take an online quiz here.
How do I know if I have prediabetes?
Prediabetes usually does not have any symptoms, so it is very important for you to see your doctor. A simple blood test can be done to determine if you have prediabetes. There are three common types of tests used to determine if you have diabetes:
Prediabetes tests*
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Blood glucose (sugar) test
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Prediabetes blood sugar level
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Normal blood sugar level
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Fasting blood glucose
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100 mg/dl to 125 mg/dl
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Less than 100 mg/dl
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2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (75 g)
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140 mg/dl to 199 mg/dl
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Less than 140 mg/dl
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Hemoglobin A1C
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5.7% to 6.4%
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Less than 5.7%
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*If you have blood sugar levels higher than the prediabetes level, your doctor will talk to you about diabetes.
What is the treatment for prediabetes?
There are research studies that show lifestyle changes can actually delay or prevent diabetes. In 2002, the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was a landmark study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The results of this study found that the combination of 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week or 150 minutes per week and a 7 percent reduction in body weight led to a 58 percent reduction in diabetes.
How can I become more active?
 It is important to be physically active every day. This means moving your body several times a day. The specific activity is not as important as doing the activity. It can be as simple as walking. You can get up from your desk and walk for 5 minutes, every hour while at work. This daily routine may be an easy way to increase your activity. Ideally, try to get 30 minutes of activity daily. Click here for more tips on how to increase your activity.
How can I improve my food choices?
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Diabetes Association, you can help yourself by doing some simple things:
- Limiting how much fat you are eating. For the average adult male this means no more than 55 grams of fat per day, females is 45 grams.
- Eat foods that are high in fiber. Try to get 35 grams of fiber each day.
- Consistently eat about the same amount of carbohydrate at each meal and limiting the amount of these carbohydrates that are from such foods as sweet beverages and deserts. This will help maintain steady blood sugar levels.
- Choose to eat fruit instead of consuming fruit juice. Fresh fruits have more fiber and usually less sugar than fruit Juices.
Eating more home cooked meals and not skipping meals can help meet the above mentioned goals. These healthy lifestyle changes can have a positive impact on the health of you and your family.
Additional resources:
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