Prediabetes Summary Prediabetes means you have blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Too much glucose in your blood can damage your body over time. If you have prediabetes, you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Most people with prediabetes don’t have any symptoms. Your doctor can use an A1C test or another blood test to find out if your blood glucose levels are higher than normal. If you are 45 years old or older, your doctor may recommend that you be tested for prediabetes, especially if you are overweight. Losing weight – at least 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight – can prevent or delay diabetes or even reverse prediabetes. That’s 10 to 20 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds. You can lose weight by cutting down on the amount of calories and fat you eat and being physically active at least 30 minutes a day. Being physically active makes your body’s insulin work better. Your doctor may also prescribe medicine to help control the amount of glucose in your blood. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Diagnosis and Tests A1C Test and Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Comparing Tests for Diabetes and Prediabetes: A Quick Reference Guide National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Diagnosing Diabetes and Learning about Prediabetes American Diabetes Association Diagnosis of Diabetes and Prediabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Glucose Tests American Association for Clinical Chemistry Living With Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Small Steps, Big Rewards: Your Game Plan to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes National Diabetes Education Program Take Steps to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Find an Expert American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association National Diabetes Education Program National Diabetes Education Program National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Array Blood sugar test – blood Glucose tolerance test – non-pregnant Prediabetes Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Insulin Resistance National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Prediabetic State National Institutes of Health Related Issues Complications to Avoid with Pre-Diabetes American Heart Association Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Stroke National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Weight-Loss Surgery for Adults with Diabetes or Prediabetes Who Are at the Lower Levels of Obesity Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Statistics and Research Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) Array National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2014 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Patient Access to Research American Diabetes Association Seniors Five Ways Older Adults Can Be More Active National Diabetes Education Program Children How to Help Your Children Stay Healthy: Tips to Lower Their Chances of Getting Type 2 Diabetes National Diabetes Education Program Treatments and Therapies Medication or Lifestyle for Pre-Diabetes American Heart Association Prevention and Risk Factors Pre-Diabetes Non-Modifiable Risk Factors American Heart Association Start Here Prediabetes American Academy of Family Physicians Prediabetes: What You Need to Know Array Journal Articles Prediabetes Latest News As Fitness Levels Rise, Diabetes Risk Drops HealthDay Prediabetes May Damage Nerves More Than Thought HealthDay