Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Do You Know If You Have Borderline Diabetes?Female Health and Prediabetes: What to KnowReversing PrediabetesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Do You Know If You Have Borderline Diabetes?
Female Health and Prediabetes: What to Know
Reversing Prediabetes
Frequently Asked Questions
Prediabetesis whenblood glucose(blood sugar) levels are too high to be considered normal but not enough to be diabetes.Hormonaldifferences make this condition different between men and women.For example, women are more likely than men to develop diabetes-related complications such asvascular disease.
Learn more about the symptoms ofprediabetesin girls and women.
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Over 80% of people with borderline diabetes orprediabetesdo not know they have it.Thesymptomsof prediabetes are often mild, so much so that they go undetected.
However, early signs and risk factors may signal the need forscreening. For example, people withpolycystic ovary syndromeor excess weight are more likely to develop prediabetes.
What is an A1C test?A1C testsare done using a simple finger prick to get a small blood sample. It requires no preparation. Healthcare providers use A1C tests to determine your average blood sugar over the last three months and assess your diabetes risk based on specific A1C ranges:Normal- below 5.7%Prediabetes- 5.7% - 6.4%Diabetes- 6.5% or above
What is an A1C test?
A1C testsare done using a simple finger prick to get a small blood sample. It requires no preparation. Healthcare providers use A1C tests to determine your average blood sugar over the last three months and assess your diabetes risk based on specific A1C ranges:Normal- below 5.7%Prediabetes- 5.7% - 6.4%Diabetes- 6.5% or above
A1C testsare done using a simple finger prick to get a small blood sample. It requires no preparation. Healthcare providers use A1C tests to determine your average blood sugar over the last three months and assess your diabetes risk based on specific A1C ranges:
Symptoms of Undiagnosed Prediabetes in Women
Some symptoms of prediabetes are the same for men and women. However, women may experience additional signs of prediabetes and diabetes, such as:
There is also a significant link betweenstressand prediabetes in women, as stressed women have nearly double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as those who are not stressed.
General Prediabetes SymptomsThere are three symptoms of prediabetes that are common among men and women, which include the following:Excessivethirst, even after drinking plenty of waterFatiguethat does not go away even with enough sleepFrequent urination(needing to pee), even without consuming a lot of fluids
General Prediabetes Symptoms
There are three symptoms of prediabetes that are common among men and women, which include the following:Excessivethirst, even after drinking plenty of waterFatiguethat does not go away even with enough sleepFrequent urination(needing to pee), even without consuming a lot of fluids
There are three symptoms of prediabetes that are common among men and women, which include the following:
Prediabetes is more common among men than women, but women are more likely to know that they have prediabetes.While learning that you have prediabetes may be challenging, knowing you do can help you implement changes to reverse the condition and prevent it from progressing to type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, women are at increased risk of diabetes complications such asheart disease.People with a history ofgestational diabetes(diabetes during pregnancy) are also at an increased risk of developing prediabetes. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn if you could benefit from annual prediabetes screenings.
Even small changes such as 30 minutes of exercise five days a week and weight loss of 7% of total body weight can go a long way in reversing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
How Long Does It Take?
Foods to Avoid
The primary foods to avoid prediabetes are those with a lot of sugar, such as candy, baked goods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed white bread and grains.A plant-based diet has been shown to promoteweight lossand prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Suspecting, being diagnosed, and living with prediabetes can be challenging, especially considering the increased risk of type 2 diabetes and related health complications. If you or someone you know is experiencing prediabetes, help is available. Prediabetes is treatable and reversible with healthy behavior changes. Reach out to a healthcare provider for support.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere are multiple causes of prediabetes, with excess weight as a significant contributing factor. E, which may be related to consuming high-glycemic food (foods that increase blood sugar), limited physical activity, or both.Changing these behaviors can help to prevent and treat prediabetes.Learn MoreWhat Is the Glycemic Index?Prediabetes typically does not happen suddenly, but it may seem sudden because many people with prediabetes don’t know they have it.Other factors include gaining weight quickly and insulin resistance when the body does not respond the way it should to the insulin that lowers blood glucose levels.Learn MoreWhat Is Insulin Resistance?The connection between stress and prediabetes and diabetes is not entirely clear. However, research shows that the risk of type 2 diabetes is nearly double in stressed women compared to those who are not.Learn MoreCan Stress Cause High Blood Sugar?
There are multiple causes of prediabetes, with excess weight as a significant contributing factor. E, which may be related to consuming high-glycemic food (foods that increase blood sugar), limited physical activity, or both.Changing these behaviors can help to prevent and treat prediabetes.Learn MoreWhat Is the Glycemic Index?
There are multiple causes of prediabetes, with excess weight as a significant contributing factor. E, which may be related to consuming high-glycemic food (foods that increase blood sugar), limited physical activity, or both.Changing these behaviors can help to prevent and treat prediabetes.
Learn MoreWhat Is the Glycemic Index?
Prediabetes typically does not happen suddenly, but it may seem sudden because many people with prediabetes don’t know they have it.Other factors include gaining weight quickly and insulin resistance when the body does not respond the way it should to the insulin that lowers blood glucose levels.Learn MoreWhat Is Insulin Resistance?
Prediabetes typically does not happen suddenly, but it may seem sudden because many people with prediabetes don’t know they have it.Other factors include gaining weight quickly and insulin resistance when the body does not respond the way it should to the insulin that lowers blood glucose levels.
Learn MoreWhat Is Insulin Resistance?
The connection between stress and prediabetes and diabetes is not entirely clear. However, research shows that the risk of type 2 diabetes is nearly double in stressed women compared to those who are not.Learn MoreCan Stress Cause High Blood Sugar?
The connection between stress and prediabetes and diabetes is not entirely clear. However, research shows that the risk of type 2 diabetes is nearly double in stressed women compared to those who are not.
Learn MoreCan Stress Cause High Blood Sugar?
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes—your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.Kautzky-Willer A, Harreiter J, Abrahamian H, et al.Sex and gender-specific aspects in prediabetes and diabetes mellitus-clinical recommendations. 2019;131(221-228). doi:10.1007/s00508-018-1421-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Insulin resistance and prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.All about your A1C.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and women.American Heart Association.Stress may increase type 2 diabetes risk in women.University of Central Florida College of Medicine.3 Most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prevalence of prediabetes among adults.Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at risk for type 2 diabetes.Yale Medicine.Prediabetes is on the rise—here’s how to reverse it.Scherger JE.The diabetes code.Fam Med. 2019;51(3):286-287. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2019.998853Johns Hopkins Medicine.Prediabetes diet.McMacken M, Shah S.A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009Miao Z, Alvarez M, Ko A, et al.The causal effect of obesity on prediabetes and insulin resistance reveals the important role of adipose tissue in insulin resistance.PLoS Genet. 2020;16(9):e1009018. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009018American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes—your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.Kautzky-Willer A, Harreiter J, Abrahamian H, et al.Sex and gender-specific aspects in prediabetes and diabetes mellitus-clinical recommendations. 2019;131(221-228). doi:10.1007/s00508-018-1421-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Insulin resistance and prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.All about your A1C.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and women.American Heart Association.Stress may increase type 2 diabetes risk in women.University of Central Florida College of Medicine.3 Most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prevalence of prediabetes among adults.Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at risk for type 2 diabetes.Yale Medicine.Prediabetes is on the rise—here’s how to reverse it.Scherger JE.The diabetes code.Fam Med. 2019;51(3):286-287. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2019.998853Johns Hopkins Medicine.Prediabetes diet.McMacken M, Shah S.A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009Miao Z, Alvarez M, Ko A, et al.The causal effect of obesity on prediabetes and insulin resistance reveals the important role of adipose tissue in insulin resistance.PLoS Genet. 2020;16(9):e1009018. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009018American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes—your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.Kautzky-Willer A, Harreiter J, Abrahamian H, et al.Sex and gender-specific aspects in prediabetes and diabetes mellitus-clinical recommendations. 2019;131(221-228). doi:10.1007/s00508-018-1421-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Insulin resistance and prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.All about your A1C.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and women.American Heart Association.Stress may increase type 2 diabetes risk in women.University of Central Florida College of Medicine.3 Most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prevalence of prediabetes among adults.Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at risk for type 2 diabetes.Yale Medicine.Prediabetes is on the rise—here’s how to reverse it.Scherger JE.The diabetes code.Fam Med. 2019;51(3):286-287. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2019.998853Johns Hopkins Medicine.Prediabetes diet.McMacken M, Shah S.A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009Miao Z, Alvarez M, Ko A, et al.The causal effect of obesity on prediabetes and insulin resistance reveals the important role of adipose tissue in insulin resistance.PLoS Genet. 2020;16(9):e1009018. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009018American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes—your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Kautzky-Willer A, Harreiter J, Abrahamian H, et al.Sex and gender-specific aspects in prediabetes and diabetes mellitus-clinical recommendations. 2019;131(221-228). doi:10.1007/s00508-018-1421-1
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of diabetes.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Insulin resistance and prediabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.All about your A1C.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes and women.
American Heart Association.Stress may increase type 2 diabetes risk in women.
University of Central Florida College of Medicine.3 Most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prevalence of prediabetes among adults.
Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Yale Medicine.Prediabetes is on the rise—here’s how to reverse it.
Scherger JE.The diabetes code.Fam Med. 2019;51(3):286-287. doi:10.22454/FamMed.2019.998853
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Prediabetes diet.
McMacken M, Shah S.A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.J Geriatr Cardiol. 2017;14(5):342-354. doi:10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.009
Miao Z, Alvarez M, Ko A, et al.The causal effect of obesity on prediabetes and insulin resistance reveals the important role of adipose tissue in insulin resistance.PLoS Genet. 2020;16(9):e1009018. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009018
American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.
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