What is prediabetes and who is at risk?
Prediabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but haven’t reached the level required for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
Since there are no symptoms with prediabetes, it is important to get tested. There are risk factors that may make you more likely to have prediabetes and these are the same risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.
What are the risk factors for prediabetes?
- being overweight (e.g. a high body mass index, also known as a BMI)
- increased waist circumference (men: greater than 102 cm; women: greater than 88 cm)
- sedentary lifestyle (i.e. inactivity or excessive sitting)
- age (the risk of prediabetes increases after 40 years of age)
- family history (e.g. a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes)
- ethnicity (being of Aboriginal, African, Asian, Hispanic or South Asian descent)
- high blood pressure (greater than 130/85 mm Hg)
- abnormal blood fats or cholesterol
- having gestational diabetes puts you and your baby at risk for prediabetes
- exhaustion, especially without physical exertion
- excessive mood swings, including depression
- issues with digestion (e.g. constipation, bloating, nausea)
- excessive thirst and hunger (e.g. feeling hungry after a full meal or needing to drink three or four litres of water a day)
Metabolic syndrome and prediabetes
Prediabetes can also be part of a condition called ‘metabolic syndrome’ where you may have a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, elevated blood sugars or excess fat around the waist.
If you have any of these risk factors, talk to your healthcare provider about testing your blood sugar.
Is it possible to prevent diabetes if you have prediabetes?
Almost everyone with type 2 diabetes started off with prediabetes. However, not all people with prediabetes will advance to develop type 2 diabetes.
In some cases, healthy lifestyle changes (healthy eating and increased physical activity) can effectively keep blood glucose levels within normal targets and avoid the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.
If lifestyle changes don’t work, then what?
For many people, lifestyle changes alone may not be enough to maintain target blood sugar levels. In these cases, you may also need to take oral medications, such as metformin. Other medications may also be prescribed to help control cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Medications can be an effective tool in helping to manage prediabetes. However, always remember that they need to be combined with healthy lifestyle changes to obtain and maintain desired results.
Talk to your diabetes healthcare team about the strategies that will work best for you. Also discuss what ongoing screening should be maintained to keep good track of your condition. If you are over 40 years of age, testing your blood sugar should be part of your regular medical checkup.
Articles about Prediabetes
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Type 2 diabetes prevention programs in CanadaIf you are at risk for diabetes or are living with prediabetes, a diabetes prevention program can provide you with valuable information about how to prevent it.
What is borderline diabetes?Borderline diabetes is a condition that can develop before type 2 diabetes. It is also known as prediabetes, impaired fasting glucose or glucose intolerance.
Prediabetes menu planIf you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, you may be wondering if there is a special diet that you should follow. People with prediabetes don’t need any special foods different than anyone else. The most important thing you can do is eat healthy foods and plan your weekly meals accordingly.
10 warning signs of prediabetesSimilar to type 2 diabetes, there are usually no symptoms; however, there are warning signs for prediabetes that may mean you are at higher risk. Here are 10 warning signs of prediabetes.
Get motivated to prevent diabetes!A diagnosis of prediabetes doesn’t mean you will get diabetes, so take charge, fight back and prevent diabetes. Here’s how!
What is the blood sugar range for prediabetes in Canada?Before being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your body may provide signals that there is something not quite right with your blood sugar levels. This could mean you have prediabetes.
Get motivated to lose weight!If you have prediabetes, maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent you from getting diabetes. And, if you have diabetes, the good news is that studies have shown that losing even a little weight can improve your diabetes control and reduce the risk of complications.
Prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: how do I know?The reality is, you can have prediabetes and even type 2 diabetes, without realizing it because the symptoms may not be apparent. Left unmanaged, there is a good chance prediabetes will turn into type 2 diabetes eventually.
How do I know if I have prediabetes?When you have prediabetes, you’re at much greater risk of getting type 2 diabetes too, along with other diabetes-related health conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
