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  • With Mayo Clinic diabetes educators

    Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

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  • Living with diabetes blog

  • May 5, 2011

    If you have prediabetes, do something about it now

    By Nancy Klobassa Davidson, R.N., and Peggy Moreland, R.N.

62 comments posted

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they usually have prediabetes or impaired fasting blood glucose. If your blood sugar level is over 100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol) but less than 126 mg/dL (7 mmol), you're considered to have prediabetes.

Prediabetes/diabetes has become a worldwide epidemic. There are 57 million people in the United States alone who have prediabetes and most don't know it, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Unfortunately, many people who believe they're "borderline diabetic" or have "a touch of diabetes" think that they're safe. However, research has shown that some long-term damage is being done to the body, especially to the heart and circulatory system.

Risk factors for prediabetes and diabetes:

  • You're overweight or obese. This can keep your body from making and using insulin properly. Being overweight can also cause high blood pressure.
  • You have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes. If you have a relative with type 2 diabetes, this more than doubles your risk of getting the disease.
  • You're African-American, American Indian, Asian-American, Pacific Islander or of Hispanic/Latino heritage.
  • You had gestational diabetes or gave birth to at least one baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms).
  • You have high blood pressure.
  • Your HDL or "good" cholesterol is below 35 mg/dL (0.9 mmol/L) or your triglyceride level is above 250 mg/dL (2.83 mmol/L).
  • You exercise fewer than three times a week.

Diagnosis

You can have prediabetes and not know it. Two tests are commonly used to diagnose prediabetes:

  • Fasting blood glucose. Measures blood glucose first thing in the morning before you eat. A normal fasting blood glucose is between 70 to100 mg/dL (3.8 to 5.5 mmol). You have prediabetes if your fasting blood sugar is 101 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol).
  • Oral glucose tolerance test. Measures blood glucose after fasting and again 2 hours after drinking a glucose-rich drink. Normal blood glucose is below 140 mg/dL (7.7 mmol) 2 hours after the drink. In prediabetes, the 2-hour blood glucose is 140 to 199 mg/dL (7.8 to 11.0 mmol/L). If the 2-hour blood glucose rises to 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol) or above, you have diabetes.

If you have prediabetes, you should do something about it. Studies have shown that people with prediabetes can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent through changes to their lifestyle, including modest weight loss (as little as 5 to 7 percent of your current weight) and increasing physical exercise. That is huge!

- Peggy

62 comments posted

blog index

  • May 15, 2012 2:20 p.m.

    Prediabetes, I couldn't find out how many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop full fledged type 2 diabetes, but the ADA says that research shows that you can lower your risk by 58% by losing 7% of your body weight and exercising moderately 30 minutes a day for five days a week. I do know that 50% of women with gestational diabetes will go on the develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • May 10, 2012 12:24 p.m.

    What percent of people with prediabetes do NOT go on to develop diabetes? What are the defined risks for a person that stays in the prediabetic range for decades? Thanks!

    - Joe

  • April 22, 2012 7:42 p.m.

    Marie, perhaps u can try eating your food on time; inother words, according how they grow. Our bodies are part of the universe, everything in the universe is timed, otherwise, we would have chaos. When we eat out of time, our bodies suffer. In the morning eat foods from the trees, in the mid of the day, eat foods that are above ground up to 4 ft. up and at night eat foods that grow in the soil and in the water or in the dark. This is called solar nutrition. Try it and see if your blood sugar normalizes.

    - Tami

  • March 18, 2012 7:31 p.m.

    I have the same question Roman does, what do I do? I just got a letter from the doctor stating, once again, that I am pre-diabetic, come back in a year. What no let's try to stop this? I know that this can be reversed but how? What do I eat, not eat, I don't know.

    - No name given

  • February 12, 2012 1:24 p.m.

    Carol, stevia is not artificial, it is an herb, I have it growing in my yard, it has almost no calories yet tastes very sweet. Soleil

    - Soleil

  • February 6, 2012 4:14 p.m.

    A thousand times you say if you have pre-diabetes you should do something about it. WHAT should I do about it?

    - Roman

  • January 3, 2012 2:21 p.m.

    I bought organic oats. Should I go back and get barley? I am new to this, but I am a vegetarian so that isn't difficult. Could I drink organic decaf. I am having a difficult time exercising and do weigh 30 lbs. too much. I am 76 and never had trouble before. I don't take any medication. I did get vitamins and 5htp for my depression and a vegan protein drink. thanks. I get sick to my stomach sometimes after eating.

    - jeanne

  • January 1, 2012 6:28 p.m.

    If research shows that there is damage to the body with prediabetes then why isn't it all diabetes, just a matter of degree?

    - Richard

  • December 31, 2011 2:35 p.m.

    Does Chromium picolinate helps the pancreas, and how does it helps? Thank you

    - Cristina

  • December 21, 2011 3:38 p.m.

    I randomly tested my mother with glucometer, in one reading of random it was 140 after 1 hour of eating and fasting was 109. I dont know if i should consider my mother as prediabetic as she has none of the risk factors mentioned above. Can it be a temporary increase in blood sugar level due to stress? she is very tensed lately. Can she go back to normal?

    - Ayesha

  • November 23, 2011 11:19 a.m.

    thank you for this article. my doctor keeps telling me that anything above normal is full blown diabetes. Had enough of doctors who lie and just want to drug you up with meds that are not needed, and in themselves cause a whole heap of other problems health wise especially when one is allergic to the ingredients. doctors lately are under the impression the patient has no say in their health and will give meds without knowledge or consent. Has happened to me and I am still suffering from it. (injected three times under the guise of something else) but they all stick together so you can't take them to task for their bad behaviours. seems their aim is to make patients more ill. keeps them in business and the drug companies coffers always bulging

    - summer

  • November 16, 2011 6:39 p.m.

    I have been tested twice for Diabetes the last one was about 6 months ago and my fasting blood glucose level was 140 same as it was the month before that. I haven't been able to go back in to get tested because I have no insurance. I was just wondering what you thought of my situation?

    - Ambryn

  • November 14, 2011 2:45 p.m.

    Marion: Symptoms of diabetes. This is for the American Diabetes Association website which puts it in layman's terms: Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes Frequent urination Unusual thirst Extreme hunger Unusual weight loss Extreme fatigue and Irritability Type 2 Diabetes* Any of the type 1 symptoms Frequent infections Blurred vision Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections ***Often people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 14, 2011 2:41 p.m.

    Ed: Good question! We advise to continue testing your blood sugars as you are doing. Exercise may help keep blood sugars down.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • November 10, 2011 10:07 a.m.

    My glucose level has always been normal until the past few months. With a random glucose test 1 month ago it was 200. After increasing my amount of daily exercise and eliminating all sugars and white bread I was had a fasting glucose test. It was 133. My primary Dr. suggested that I obtain a meter and do home testing 3 times each day so that she can decide what medicines to start me on. Now, I read that with pre-diabetes (I am barely above that) it is possible to be fully diabetic within 10 years. I am already 87 yo. a WM not overweight but with controlled high blood pressure. So - why medication this late in life?

    - Ed

  • October 28, 2011 7:14 a.m.

    In laymens terms, what are the symptoms of diabetes, without having tests, how may you have a hint of the problem?

    - marion

  • October 26, 2011 4:17 p.m.

    Today i went to the doctors office for a cough. He said i had a post infection cough because i had a n ear infection 2 weeks earlier. My mom asked about the dark skin behind my neck on my underarms. The docter said i might have pre diebeties. So i am going to a fasting test this friday? i am scared. any Support? Comment i am only 12 and freaking out? Any help?

    - Katie

  • September 6, 2011 8:40 a.m.

    I just had blood work done and it indicates I am pre-diabetic at 128 w/fasting w/my HbA1c>6.4%. It was suggested to repeat test. I have been looking at the symptoms, etc, and I really only have been experiencing an uptick in urination and feeling hungry, seems I am always tired. I am not over-weight, diabetes does not run in my family, I typically always have low blood-pressure. My cholesteral is actually high right now, and I am white. I have scheduled an appt to see my doc, but wondering if I should be worrying about this when my risk factors are just about nil...

    - Gloria

  • August 27, 2011 9:58 a.m.

    Koala, Sounds like wonderful advice. Thanks.

    - Hannah

  • August 9, 2011 3:26 p.m.

    "Exercise, at least 20 minutes 2x a day, and lose weight." So easy. Any revelations for those that are physically unable to exercise or can't lose weight no matter well they eat? Unless you are paralyzed, everyone can exercise. There are devices you can sit on & rotate from, You can do work outs from a chair. You can swim. You can lay on padded mat and roll like a sausage across the floor or scoot on your butt. As for weight loss, if you really want it,cut way back on animal products, eat more organic, whole uprocessed foods. Read the book "EAT TO LIVE" & follow. There are 2 rules - eat a raw salad daily, & follow the GOMBS (Greens, Onion, Mushrooms, Berries/Beans, & Seeds) list for where the majority of your colories come from. No portion control, no counting. I would add, cut out all sweetners both natural and artificial. If you eat hot barley for breakfast, add natural applesauce & mashed ripe banana plus cinnamon & flax seeds. Lunch - have a big green salad with spinach, spring mix, parsley, sliced apples, some berries, seeds & chopped raw nuts. Make dressing blending soft tofu, apple cider vinegar, & a pint of berries. For dinner make a minstrone soup with purified water, cut celery, carrots, onions, zuchini, green beans, kale or spinach,parsley, navy beans, peeled tomatoes, bell pepper, quinoa, & lots of garlic, oregano, & other Italian seasoning. That will heal your body,cause weight loss & ge

    - Koala

  • July 3, 2011 8:54 p.m.

    I have been giving metformin for my diabetes. I lived like a elderly for a year and 3 months because i have been allergic to metformin, it took me a year to get to where i am at now....and i am still fatigued. I have been under test after test and now the doctor wants to rule me as chronic fatigue syndrome. What i want to know is ...did metformin screw me up in someway? I used to be okay and walk 5 miles a day before the metformin.

    - Claudette

  • June 11, 2011 12:09 p.m.

    Hi ~ I'm prediabetic (124 fasting and 145 2hours after normal breakfast). I also have severe G.E.R.D. which is doing OK with aggressive treatment and lifestyle changes. So, I know what NOT to eat for G.E.R.D. and I'm researching and learning what NOT to eat for diabetes (by the way, different resources contadict each other). :-/ BUT, I need to know WHAT I CAN EAT. I'm having trouble finding out what is OK to eat for diabetes. (Then, I can rule out what's bad for G.E.R.D.) Can someone please tell me a good resource that will tell me what I CAN eat for diabetes? Thanks! :o)

    - Marcia

  • June 6, 2011 9:00 a.m.

    Carol: You have good questions. Your dietician would be the one to give you the answers you are seeking. Did your dietician give you guidelines as to how much carbohydrates to have per meal as a guideline to losing weight?

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • May 31, 2011 10:16 a.m.

    Is stevia a good artificial sweetener to use? Can a prediabetic still use sugar and honey in moderation? How much per day?

    - Carol

  • May 31, 2011 10:11 a.m.

    I have been told that I am prediabetic with a1c 6.4 and fasting blood sugar 112. My Dr. said to avoid white flour, corn, cashews,and white potatoes. A dietician told me it is not necessary to avoid these things-just count the carbs. I have been on a Weight Watcher program which is very healthy. Would it be a good idea for me to continue my Weight Watcher program and just count the carbs too?

    - Carol

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