How to Diagnose Prediabetes

Finding out whether or not you have prediabetes is very important. The sooner you find out the quicker you will be able to get it under control. Individuals who are diagnosed with prediabetes know if they don’t take the necessary precautions it is just a matter of time before they will have diabetes.

• Make an appointment with your doctor or health care provider. Your medical provider will have to perform certain blood and lab test to find out if you are prediabetic or not.

• Record any symptoms you may be having. It will make it easy to tell your provider about your symptoms.

• Explain the symptoms you have been having to your doctor. Your doctor will probably want to perform a physical as well as have blood work done. Some of the test may require that you have not had anything to eat for a certain amount of hours. If you have had something to eat, you will most likely have to come back to have the test done.

• Follow up with your doctor to find out the results of your test. If you have prediabetes, your A1C results will be between the range of 6 and 6.5 percent. Your doctor may also want you to have a glucose tolerance test.

• Have your blood drawn for the glucose tolerance test after fasting for 8 hours. You will also be required to drink a sugary drink, which is given to you by the lab. You will wait for two hours and then your blood will be drawn again. If your blood sugar is between 140 and 199 you are diagnosed with prediabetes.