Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCopingFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetesis a serious medical condition that involves high blood sugar levels.Impaired glucose toleranceis consideredprediabeteswhenblood sugarlevels are higher than normal but too low to be classified as diabetes.People with impaired glucose tolerance are at an increased risk of developing diabetes.
Learn about impaired glucose tolerance, the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and more.
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Types of Prediabetes
Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are elevated but are too low to be diagnosed as diabetes.Prediabetes can be detected in one of the following two ways:
Impaired Glucose Tolerance Symptoms
Approximately 8 out of 10 people with prediabetes do not know they have it.This is because symptoms may not appear for years or even until the condition has escalated to diabetes.
However, there are warning signs and risk factors of prediabetes, including:
Causes
Causes and Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes
A diabetes screening tool, the fasting glucose test, is used to diagnose impaired glucose tolerance.This blood test checks glucose levels after fasting for eight hours or more.
If fasting glucose level results are between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), it is considered impaired glucose tolerance or prediabetes.Lower levels are normal, and higher levels are considered diabetic.
An oral glucose tolerance test may also be done. In this test, a blood sugar of 140 to 199 mg/dL is considered prediabetes, according to American Diabetes Association guidelines. Some experts consider a level of 110 mg/dL to be prediabetes.
Why It’s Important to Monitor Glucose Levels
An impaired glucose tolerance diagnosis means you are prediabetic, a precursor that could lead to diabetes. Prediabetes doesn’t typically require medical treatment. Instead, the best treatment if you have impaired glucose tolerance is to make lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and eating the right amount of healthy foods.Additionally, it is recommended that you be closely monitored in case medication is eventually needed.
Many people (up to 80%) with prediabetes don’t know they have it, making them unaware of the necessary lifestyle changes needed to prevent diabetes.
About 25% of people diagnosed with prediabetes will be diagnosed with diabetes within five years.However, when lifestyle changes such asdietandexerciseare made and weight is lost, the risk of developing diabetes decreases up to 58% for people under 60 years old and up to 71% for people over 60 years old.
Coping with impaired glucose tolerance involves making lifestyle changes around diet and exercise in hopes of reversing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
Some lifestyle changes to jump-start weight loss and prevent diabetes include:
Dealing with prediabetes and diabetes diagnoses can also lead tomental healthchallenges, such as depression or anxiety.It’s essential for people with impaired glucose tolerance to seek support for any mental health challenges they may have.
Summary
Impaired glucose tolerance is prediabetes, which means blood sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than required for a diabetes diagnosis. The condition is diagnosed based on an oral glucose tolerance test, which analyzes and compares blood sugar levels after fasting and consuming a specific sugary drink.
A Word From Verywell
Suspecting, being diagnosed with, and living with impaired glucose tolerance can be challenging, especially when the lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes do not always come easily. If you or someone you know is experiencing this condition, help is available. It is possible to change habits and behaviors, lose weight, and reverse impaired glucose tolerance.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes. Increasing physical activity levels and making dietary changes such as eating fewer processed and sugary foods can reduce blood sugar levels and reverse impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. Implementing these lifestyle changes will also decrease your risk of developing diabetes.Yes. Prediabetes is when glucose levels are too high to be considered normal but not high enough to diagnose diabetes. Depending on the diagnostic test used to check glucose levels, prediabetes is referred to as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting tolerance. Impaired glucose tolerance means glucose levels are high on the oral glucose tolerance test.The oral glucose tolerance test is a standard test administered during pregnancy to screen for gestational diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy means that the blood sugar levels are elevated. These levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This means there is an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Yes. Increasing physical activity levels and making dietary changes such as eating fewer processed and sugary foods can reduce blood sugar levels and reverse impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. Implementing these lifestyle changes will also decrease your risk of developing diabetes.
Yes. Prediabetes is when glucose levels are too high to be considered normal but not high enough to diagnose diabetes. Depending on the diagnostic test used to check glucose levels, prediabetes is referred to as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting tolerance. Impaired glucose tolerance means glucose levels are high on the oral glucose tolerance test.
The oral glucose tolerance test is a standard test administered during pregnancy to screen for gestational diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy means that the blood sugar levels are elevated. These levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This means there is an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes.
12 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.Diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes - your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Understanding diabetes diagnosis.American Academy of Family Physicians.Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Lee CJ, Lim NK, Kim HC, et al.Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance do not predict hypertension: a community cohort study.American Journal of Hypertension. 2015;28(4):493-500. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu186American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S20-S42. doi:10.2337/dc24-S002American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.Davidson, MB.Metformin should not be used to treat prediabetes.Diabetes Care. 2020;43(9):1983-1987. doi:10.2337/dc19-2221Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Harvard School of Public Health.Simple steps to preventing diabetes.Deschênes SS, Burns RJ, Graham E, Schmitz N.Prediabetes, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and risk of type 2 diabetes: A community-based cohort study.J Psychosom Res. 2016;89:85-90. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.08.011
12 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.Diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes - your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Understanding diabetes diagnosis.American Academy of Family Physicians.Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Lee CJ, Lim NK, Kim HC, et al.Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance do not predict hypertension: a community cohort study.American Journal of Hypertension. 2015;28(4):493-500. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu186American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S20-S42. doi:10.2337/dc24-S002American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.Davidson, MB.Metformin should not be used to treat prediabetes.Diabetes Care. 2020;43(9):1983-1987. doi:10.2337/dc19-2221Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Harvard School of Public Health.Simple steps to preventing diabetes.Deschênes SS, Burns RJ, Graham E, Schmitz N.Prediabetes, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and risk of type 2 diabetes: A community-based cohort study.J Psychosom Res. 2016;89:85-90. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.08.011
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.Diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes - your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.American Diabetes Association.Understanding diabetes diagnosis.American Academy of Family Physicians.Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.Lee CJ, Lim NK, Kim HC, et al.Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance do not predict hypertension: a community cohort study.American Journal of Hypertension. 2015;28(4):493-500. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu186American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S20-S42. doi:10.2337/dc24-S002American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.Davidson, MB.Metformin should not be used to treat prediabetes.Diabetes Care. 2020;43(9):1983-1987. doi:10.2337/dc19-2221Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.Harvard School of Public Health.Simple steps to preventing diabetes.Deschênes SS, Burns RJ, Graham E, Schmitz N.Prediabetes, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and risk of type 2 diabetes: A community-based cohort study.J Psychosom Res. 2016;89:85-90. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.08.011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Prediabetes - your chance to prevent type 2 diabetes.
American Diabetes Association.Understanding diabetes diagnosis.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The surprising truth about prediabetes.
Lee CJ, Lim NK, Kim HC, et al.Impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance do not predict hypertension: a community cohort study.American Journal of Hypertension. 2015;28(4):493-500. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpu186
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.2. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S20-S42. doi:10.2337/dc24-S002
American Diabetes Association.Prediabetes.
Davidson, MB.Metformin should not be used to treat prediabetes.Diabetes Care. 2020;43(9):1983-1987. doi:10.2337/dc19-2221
Harvard Medical School.Many miss prediabetes wake-up call.
Harvard School of Public Health.Simple steps to preventing diabetes.
Deschênes SS, Burns RJ, Graham E, Schmitz N.Prediabetes, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and risk of type 2 diabetes: A community-based cohort study.J Psychosom Res. 2016;89:85-90. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.08.011
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