Understanding Prediabetes: Your Chance To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Prediabetes is a serious health condition that develops silently and often by surprise. Nearly 98 million adults in the U.S. have prediabetes, and most don’t know it. Could you be one of them?

What Is Prediabetes?

You probably know someone with type 2 diabetes but may have never heard about prediabetes. With prediabetes, your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but are not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Prediabetes is often called a “silent” condition because it typically doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms and is detected through blood sugar screenings. If ignored, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.

How Is Prediabetes Different from Diabetes?

While prediabetes usually shows no symptoms, type 2 diabetes can present symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision and fatigue. Left untreated, type 2 diabetes can result in serious complications like kidney disease, nerve damage, heart disease, stroke and even blindness.

The key difference is that prediabetes gives you a window of opportunity to take action before serious health complications develop. If lifestyle changes are made early, you may be able to delay or even prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes.

Screening for Prediabetes

There are several tests your healthcare team can perform to see if you have prediabetes. These tests can include:

• Diabetes A1C Test: This test measures your average blood sugar level over the past two to three months.
• Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test: This test measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): This test measures your blood sugar after consuming a drink with 75 grams of glucose (sugar).

If ignored, prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.

Risk Factors

There are many risk factors — some you cannot control and many that you can control. For example, if you are over the age of 45, have a family history of diabetes, are overweight or have a sedentary lifestyle, you have a heightened risk of developing prediabetes.

Can Prediabetes be Reversed?

Prediabetes can often be reversed through lifestyle changes including diet and exercise.

Research shows that losing 5% to 7% of your body weight can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58% — and 71% for people over the age of 60. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing just 10 to 14 pounds with a healthy diet and exercise could make a big difference in lowering your risk.

Diet and Exercise Strategies

There is no single "perfect" diet for everyone, but a healthy, balanced diet can help you manage prediabetes. Focus on eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. Limiting processed foods and sugary beverages is essential to managing blood sugar levels.

Portion control strategies, such as the Diabetes Plate Method, can be extremely helpful in balancing your diet. The plate method involves filling half of your plate with vegetables, one-quarter with lean proteins and one-quarter with whole grains.

And don’t forget about exercise. Moderate physical activity, like brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes each week can go a long way toward preventing and reversing prediabetes.

Stay Ahead of Prediabetes with Regular Medical Checkups

Because prediabetes often has no symptoms, it’s important to schedule regular checkups with your doctor. During these visits, your doctor can run tests to check your blood sugar levels. Early detection can give you a head start in making lifestyle changes to prevent prediabetes from progressing to diabetes.

Feeling Overwhelmed by a Prediabetes Diagnosis?

It’s important to remember that small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. Start by setting simple, manageable goals, such as incorporating more vegetables into your meals or going for a 10-minute walk each day.

For additional support, your doctor can refer you to a dietitian or a certified diabetes care and education specialist. Working with your healthcare team, you can make the most of your chance to prevent prediabetes from becoming type 2 diabetes.