Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Around 96 million American adults have prediabetes. Most—roughly 80%—aren’t aware they have the condition.
Prediabetes does not typically cause symptoms. It is still a concern, however, because it is a precursor totype 2 diabetes. This means that without intervention, it can progress to type 2 diabetes, putting you at risk for a host ofrelated complications.
This article discusses prediabetes, its symptoms, causes, and diagnosis. It also looks at how prediabetes is treated and what you can do to prevent it from progressing.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
Prediabetes Symptoms
Prediabetes is also known as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose. It usually affects adults between the ages of 40 and 60.
The condition tends to be silent. It rarely causes noticeable symptoms. Most people who are diagnosed with prediabetes don’t know exactly when it began. The condition can remain stable for years before progressing to diabetes.
In the rare cases when prediabetes does cause symptoms, they usually are subtle. This means they are easily missed or mistaken for other health issues.
Signs of prediabetes include:
Complications
Without treatment, prediabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a medical condition that causes a number of health complications, including:
Prediabetes is not associated withtype 1 diabetes, a form that usually appears in childhood. It is also not related todiabetes insipidus, a condition that affects the kidneys.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
If you have prediabetes, you probably make enough insulin. Your body’s cells, however, are resistant to insulin and its effects. This results in decreased energy and a slightly elevated blood glucose level.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of prediabetes is not known. There are several known risk factors, however. For example, people who don’t get much exercise may be at risk of prediabetes. Other risk factors include:
Dealing with Abdominal Fat
Associated Conditions
Several changes in your body can take place before you develop prediabetes.
Insulin resistancebegins before prediabetes. It might not cause high blood sugar.
Prediabetes is diagnosed with the same blood tests used to diagnose type 2 diabetes.
Because prediabetes typically does not cause symptoms, it usually is detected during routine screening for diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends screening at age 35 and testing again every three years if the results are normal.
The ADA also advises testing for adults of any age who have a highbody mass index (BMI)and one or more risk factors for diabetes. For most people, a BMI of 25 kg/m2or greater is considered high. For people of Asian ancestry, a high BMI is 23 kg/m2or higher.
BMI is a flawed measure that does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Still, BMI is widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
Factors that increase your risk of developing diabetes include:
Additionally, testing should be performed for those who:
Screening Tests
With prediabetes, blood glucose is often only mildly elevated. This means it may take more than one type of blood test to diagnose the condition.
The tests used toscreen for prediabetesinclude:
Glucose Monitoring
Glucose monitoring isn’t required for prediabetes. Still, if you have prediabetes you may choose to monitor glucose at home. This can help you keep track of how well your treatment plan is working.
There are many easy-to-use glucose monitors. These include options thatcontinuously monitor glucose levels.
The Best 4 Glucometers, Tested and Reviewed
There are well-established strategies for treating prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
Lifestyle modifications are usually the first approach. If you are overweight, losing even 10% of your body weight and getting regular exercise can help to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
It’s important to be consistent in making these changes. Regular medical appointments and glucose monitoring can help keep you on track.
Other things you can do to manage prediabetes include:
If lifestyle changes aren’t effective, a healthcare provider might recommend medication likemetformin. This drug has been shown to help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Strength-Training Workout for Type 2 Diabetes
Summary
Prediabetes is when your blood sugar is high but not as high as when you have diabetes. If unmanaged, it can develop into type 2 diabetes.
Prediabetes usually has no symptoms. You may be at risk for developing prediabetes if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or excess body fat.
Prediabetes is diagnosed with blood tests. People over the age of 35 should test every three years. Those who have risk factors should test more often.
It is important to be screened if you have any risk factors for diabetes. If your tests show signs of prediabetes, simple lifestyle changes are often enough to prevent diabetes. Losing weight, exercising, and adopting a diet low in sugar and unhealthy fats and rich in nutrients will also improve your overall health and well-being.
7 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.National Diabetes Statistics Report.Rajput R, Rajput M, Mishra S, Ahlawat P.Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in prediabetes.Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 20191;17(8):406-10. doi:10.1089/met.2019.0010American 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-S002Sheng Z, Cao JY, Pang YC, et al.Effects of lifestyle modification and anti-diabetic medicine on prediabetes progress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:455. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00455American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.8. Obesity and weight management for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S145-S157. doi:10.2337/dc24-S008Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222Moin T.Should adults with prediabetes be prescribed metformin to prevent diabetes mellitus? Yes: high-quality evidence supports metformin use in persons at high risk.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(3):134-135.
7 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.National Diabetes Statistics Report.Rajput R, Rajput M, Mishra S, Ahlawat P.Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in prediabetes.Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 20191;17(8):406-10. doi:10.1089/met.2019.0010American 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-S002Sheng Z, Cao JY, Pang YC, et al.Effects of lifestyle modification and anti-diabetic medicine on prediabetes progress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:455. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00455American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.8. Obesity and weight management for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S145-S157. doi:10.2337/dc24-S008Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222Moin T.Should adults with prediabetes be prescribed metformin to prevent diabetes mellitus? Yes: high-quality evidence supports metformin use in persons at high risk.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(3):134-135.
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.National Diabetes Statistics Report.Rajput R, Rajput M, Mishra S, Ahlawat P.Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in prediabetes.Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 20191;17(8):406-10. doi:10.1089/met.2019.0010American 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-S002Sheng Z, Cao JY, Pang YC, et al.Effects of lifestyle modification and anti-diabetic medicine on prediabetes progress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:455. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00455American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.8. Obesity and weight management for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S145-S157. doi:10.2337/dc24-S008Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222Moin T.Should adults with prediabetes be prescribed metformin to prevent diabetes mellitus? Yes: high-quality evidence supports metformin use in persons at high risk.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(3):134-135.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.National Diabetes Statistics Report.
Rajput R, Rajput M, Mishra S, Ahlawat P.Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in prediabetes.Metab Syndr Relat Disord. 20191;17(8):406-10. doi:10.1089/met.2019.0010
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
Sheng Z, Cao JY, Pang YC, et al.Effects of lifestyle modification and anti-diabetic medicine on prediabetes progress: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019;10:455. doi:10.3389/fendo.2019.00455
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee.8. Obesity and weight management for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes:Standards of Care in Diabetes-2024.Diabetes Care. 2024;47(Suppl 1):S145-S157. doi:10.2337/dc24-S008
Adams OP.The impact of brief high-intensity exercise on blood glucose levels.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2013;6:113-122. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S29222
Moin T.Should adults with prediabetes be prescribed metformin to prevent diabetes mellitus? Yes: high-quality evidence supports metformin use in persons at high risk.Am Fam Physician. 2019;100(3):134-135.
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