Prediabetes

Excerpt

Prediabetes is a precursor before the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Adults with prediabetes often may show no signs or symptoms of diabetes but will have blood sugar levels higher than normal. The normal blood glucose level is between 70 mg/dL to 99 mg/dL. In patients with prediabetes, you can expect to see blood glucose levels elevated between 110 mg/dL to - 125 mg/dL. However, these levels do not meet the required criteria for a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. For this reason, many people are not aware that they are living with prediabetes.

In addition to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Once diagnosed with prediabetes patients should be checked for progression to type 2 diabetes every one to two years. If screening is negative for prediabetes, repeat screening should be carried out every 3 years as per the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Lifestyle changes through improved nutrition and physical activity are the firstline treatment for preventing the transition from prediabetes to diabetes which can be as high as 70%.