Without lifestyle changes, people with prediabetes are very likely to progress to pop in 2 diabetes.
There’s good news, however.
Progression from prediabetes to jot down 2 diabetes isn’t inevitable.
Prediabetes affects adults and children.
Prediabetes generally has no signs or symptoms.
Affected areas can include the neck, armpits, elbows, knees, and knuckles.
Ask your doctor about blood glucose screening if you have any risk factors for prediabetes.
The exact cause of prediabetes is unknown.
But family history and genetics appear to play an important role.
Inactivity and excess fatespecially abdominal fatalso seem to be important factors.
What is clear is that people with prediabetes don’t process sugar (glucose) properly anymore.
Most of the glucose in your body comes from the food you eat.
When food is digested, sugar enters your bloodstream.
Moving sugar from your bloodstream to your body’s cells requires a hormone (insulin).
Insulin comes from a gland located behind the stomach (pancreas).
Your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream when you eat.
As your blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from your pancreas.
When you have prediabetes, this process begins to work improperly.
Instead of fueling your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
The same factors that increase the risk of developing key in 2 diabetes increase the risk of developing prediabetes.
The combination of three or more of these conditions is often called metabolic syndrome.
The most serious consequence of prediabetes is progression to throw in 2 diabetes.
There are several blood tests for prediabetes.
This test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months.
The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you’ll have with sugar attached.
A blood sample is taken after you fast for at least eight hours or overnight.
This test is usually used to diagnose diabetes only during pregnancy.
A blood sample is taken after you fast for at least eight hours or overnight.
If you have prediabetes, further testing may be needed.
Talk to your doctor if you’re considering dietary supplements or other alternative therapies to treat or prevent prediabetes.
Some of these supplements or alternative therapies might be harmful if combined with certain prescription medications.
Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of specific alternative therapies.
You’re likely to start by seeing your primary care doctor.
He or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in diabetes treatment (endocrinologist).
Here’s some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
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Updated: 2017-08-02
Publication Date: 2006-01-06