Pre-Diabetes

Posted: Nov. 1, 2004

If your doctor says you have pre-diabetes, it means you are at risk for getting type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when a glucose test shows that your blood glucose is higher than normal, but lower than the diabetes range.

The good news is if you have pre-diabetes you can reduce the risk of getting diabetes and even return to normal blood glucose levels. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

Pre-diabetes means to take action
About 40 percent of adults in the United States ages 40 to 74 — or 41 million people — have pre-diabetes. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

To reduce this risk, people with pre-diabetes should take preventive measures, such as:

• Lose weight
• Become more physically active
• Eat a healthy diet

These actions will help keep diabetes and other serious health problems at bay.

If you have been told you have pre-diabetes, you should have your blood glucose checked again in one to two years.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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