What is Pre-Diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Those with pre-diabetes are at an increase risk of developing type two diabetes within 10 years unless they adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes weight loss and more physical activity.

What is Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is defined as having a fasting plasma blood glucose of 126 mg/dl or greater on two separate occasions. If diabetes symptoms exist and you have a casual blood glucuse taken at anytime that is equal to or greater than 200mg/dl and a second test shows the same high blood glucose, then you have diabetes.

Who Should be Screened?

People who are overweight and age 45 or older and those who are under 45 and overweight with two or more of the following risk factors should be screened.

• are habitually inactive


• have previously been identified as having impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance


• have a family history of diabetes


• are Asian American, African-American, Hispanic American or Native American.


• have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a child weighing over nine pounds


• have elevated blood pressure


• have HDL (good) cholesterol of 35 mg/dl or lower and triglyceride level of 250 mg/dl or higher


• have polycystic ovary syndrome


• have a history of vascular disease
  
  

You can reduce your risk or developing type two diabetes with weight loss and increased physical activity, such as walking 30 minutes a day.

• eat more broiled food than fried


• cutting back on butter


• eat more fish and chicken