Pre-Diabetes

Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "pre-diabetes" -- blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. There are 54 million people in the United States who have pre-diabetes. Recent research has shown that some long-term damage to the body, especially the heart and circulatory system, may already be occurring during pre-diabetes.

Research has also shown that if you take action to manage your blood glucose when you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from ever developing. Together with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the American Diabetes Association published a Position Statement on "The Prevention or Delay of Type 2 Diabetes" to help guide health care professionals in treating their patients with pre-diabetes.

There is a lot you can do yourself to know your risks for pre-diabetes and to take action to prevent diabetes if you have, or are at risk for, pre-diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has a wealth of resources for people with diabetes. People with pre-diabetes can expect to benefit from much of the same advice for good nutrition and physical activity. The links on this page are cornerstones of successful management of pre-diabetes.

How to Tell if You Have Pre-Diabetes - Learn how you may be at risk for pre-diabetes.

How to Prevent Pre-Diabetes - Pre-diabetes is a serious medical condition that can be treated. The good news is that the recently completed Diabetes Prevention Program study conclusively showed that people with pre-diabetes can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes by making changes in their diet and increasing their level of physical activity.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pre-Diabetes - How do I know if I have pre-diabetes? What is the treatment for pre-diabetes? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this section.

Common Concerns - In this section, learn more about common concerns that people with diabetes face every day. These include what happens when you're sick, and when you travel, should you get a flu/pneumonia shot, and dealing with feelings like anger and depression.