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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.

85 comments posted

Controlling Your Diabetes

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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

85 comments posted

blog index

  • May 14, 2013 9:20 p.m.

    Will taking my blood pressure med skew a fasting blood sugar test. I take cozaar?

    - Deb

  • April 29, 2013 11:25 a.m.

    A patient with diabetes is at 5 times greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than patients without diabetes. One third of all cardiovascular diseases also affects people with diabetes. Three quarters of diabetics die from cardiovascular disease. Women with diabetes have a 4 times greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

    - tej

  • April 4, 2013 9:17 p.m.

    Dear Nancy and Peggy, I try to scroll the comment down, but did not find any case similar to mine. My blood glucose is 106 (fasting) and 2 hours after eating sugar rich food is 85, it looks anomaly,this is always repeated where fasting glucose is higher than 2 hrs after eating one. I am 5'9", 130 lbs, eat healthy foods, no alcohol no smoking, exercise 3x a week, my BP 130/80. please tell me, any problem with this test or health condition? Thank you

    - Harry

  • April 2, 2013 11:19 a.m.

    Sorry I don't know of any information specifically on the benefits of HIIT in preventing type 2 diabetes, but route exercise in general helps delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • March 31, 2013 10:23 a.m.

    I'm wondering about the benefits of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) in helping prevent type 2 diabetes. It is also called High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise (HIIE) or sprint interval training. Any thoughts?

    - Chris

  • March 6, 2013 7:48 p.m.

    My dad has diabetes and I am concerned about if it is something that will develop later in life for me.. any tips on what I can do to prevent this? Bill Ore

    - Bill Ore

  • January 15, 2013 4:39 p.m.

    Thank you Peggy, I had a non fasting blood test a while after eating a couple of prunes and coffee, half and half and whip cream on it. my blood sugar was 58 or 59 and it was in the morning. a little concerned because I have had three large babies and was once diagnosed with hypo glycemia.

    - Debbie

  • December 27, 2012 1:01 p.m.

    Hi April: Congratulations on the weight loss! As far as your blood glucose readng of over 200 mg/dl, we recommend discussing with your doctor as to whether you have diabetes. He/she can do further testing to confirm whether or not you have diabetes. It's great that you work out 4-6 times a week.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • December 27, 2012 Midnight

    Hi I was wondering if people reply to my post where am I able to see it at? The only thing I saw was a link for read comments & Post. Where can I see if someone answers my post? Sorry I posted this here but, there isn't a contact link to ask them .

    - April

  • December 26, 2012 11:50 p.m.

    I just lost around 45 pounds & all the while when I was heavy I always checked my blood sugar. It has always been normal .90-110. I just checked again in the end of November & it was perfect. I took a blood reading a couple days ago & it was a little over 200. Does that automatically mean I am diabetic? Or can that happen sometimes to people when they over indulge. I had some Christmas cooking & cake eggnog. I work out 4-6 times a week & hardly ever have any junk food. Any help with this please let me know. Like I said I check it all the time & its fine this was the first time it was high & I'm freaking out.

    - April

  • December 3, 2012 2:22 a.m.

    it was very much helpful, thank u :)

    - vishal

  • November 9, 2012 10:39 a.m.

    I am 38 normal weight (bmi 22.4), excercise about 5 times a week and eat good. I was just told I'm prediabetic. My number is low 102, but I feel like it's bad cause I'm already healthy and still prediabetic. My dad has been prediabetic for a long time (he's not overweight either), so that is likely where it comes from. I love sweets, so I guess the only thing I can do is just completely stop eating them. If I had weight to lose or didn't excercise I could see how I could improve the number, but I don't have those problems. I don't really want to lose weight since I'm normal weight. Any other tips?

    - Sally

  • October 26, 2012 2:17 p.m.

    Type 2 DM's that are morbidly obese and lose a subtanial amount of weight, can reverse diabetes. But generally diabetes type 2 is a progressive disease. If you can have normal or near normal blood glucose readings, maintaining your weight loss, and exercise you can slow down the progression and stay off medication for a number of years. A normal A1c is 4-6 range.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • October 17, 2012 5:17 p.m.

    Is it possible to reverse diabetes? I was diagnosed with diabetes when I had an A1c of 6.6 two years ago. Since then, with the loss of 40 lbs and diet and exercise my A1c has been in the 5.8-6.2 range. Am I still diabetic with these readings?

    - Mary

  • October 7, 2012 3:36 p.m.

    I have been diagnoised prediabetic and my job requires heavy. I spend most time in airports, on planes, arriving late to hotels and eating in hotels. I am looking for strategies to manage my condition.

    - Audrey

  • September 19, 2012 4:17 p.m.

    Where are the detailed instructions for carrying out the treatment plan for prediabetes? Where can I find the special diet for managing elevated blood sugar and where are the suggestions for losing weight?

    - Trudy

  • September 9, 2012 9:19 p.m.

    I know I am prediabetic but I also have peripheral neuropathy in my feet. My endocrinologist has always told me that prediabetes could cause it, but the study that came out last week said it couldn't. What should I do? Thanks.

    - Jane

  • July 29, 2012 4:50 p.m.

    I am prediabetic (112). I am a 65-year old white male, 5'9" tall weighing 136 lbs. My wife has recently put us on a gluten-free and sugar-free diet (for her 10 lb weight loss and my prediabetes). We're lowering our carb intake as well. So now I've lost 12 lbs (down to 124 and as you can see I'm not obese). I do work out in the 100 degree heat and am sure that contributed somewhat. Anyway, what's the best way to gain weight and not increase my blood glucose count?

    - Andrew

  • July 18, 2012 4:22 p.m.

    American Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.org (for information you can trust)

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • July 16, 2012 10:20 a.m.

    I recently had routine bloodwork done and my fasting glucose was 116. My doctor says the reading is perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about. I am concerned nonetheless. I've overweight and have high blood pressure, my mom and aunt both have type 2 diabetes, and my triglycerides are high. Who do you trust when the information on the internet contradicts what your doctor tells you?

    - Nancy

  • July 4, 2012 12:21 p.m.

    My A1c test is 6.1. Last year it was 6.0 and the year before 5.9. My glucose was actually lower at 100 but had a 6.1 A1c. I am actually a little underweight,I do exercise and walk and I eat healthy. What else can I do to bring my Alc down? Thank you.

    - Loretta

  • June 19, 2012 8:56 a.m.

    I find one of the best and most accurate places to find information on diabetes is on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) website. Everyone's blood glucose goes up after eating regardless if you have diabetes or not. Generally the blood glucose will start rising about 15-20 minutes after eating and peak in 60-90 minutes and be back at baseline in 3-4 hours. Also, it depends on the type of food you eat (carbs/protein/fat) and the amount of food you eat. Non diabetic individuals will not see the blood glucose rise more than 140 mg/dl or 7.7 mmol/L after eating. People with prediabetes will see the post meal numbers in the 140-200 range and individuals with diabetes will see numbers above 200 mg/dl for diagnosis.

    - Nancy and Peggy

  • June 13, 2012 10:53 a.m.

    What is the glucose drink and can I do this test at home with a glucose meter? How much should my blood glucose go up after eating, and for how long? Where can I find this kind of information?

    - Mike

  • 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

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