Prediabetes

Prediabetes, also known as “impaired glucose tolerance,” occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes was formerly known as “borderline diabetes”. Prediabetes is almost always present before a person develops the more serious type 2 diabetes. More than 50 million people in the U.S. over age 20 have pre-diabetes.

There are three different tests your doctor can use to determine whether you have prediabetes:

• The A1C test;
• The fasting plasma glucose test; or
• The oral glucose tolerance test.

If the A1c test reveals a range of 5.7% – 6.4%, a person is defined as having prediabetes. If the fasting plasma glucose test reveals a blood glucose in the 100-125 mg/dl range, a person is defined as having “impaired fasting glucose”. If the oral glucose tolerance test reveals a blood glucose in the 140-199 mg/dl range, a person is defined as having ‘impaired glucose tolerance. Both of these conditions are diagnoses of prediabetes.

Through healthy eating and daily physical activity a person with prediabetes may be able to prevent or delay a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.