What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a health condition that means you have an impaired glucose tolerance. This condition occurs when your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be, but not quite as high as blood glucose levels would be if you had diabetes. This condition is referred to as prediabetes because it is often an indicator that without health and wellness intervention, you are at high risk to develop type 2 diabetes.

Doctors can determine whether or not you are pre-diabetic with a simple blood test. Typically, this blood test is testing for your A1C level. A1C is the marker for glycated hemoglobin. This is an indicator of what a person’s blood glucose level is for the 2-3 months prior to the test. Blood glucose levels are considered “normal” when the results of your A1C test are under 5.7%. Doctors can diagnose you with diabetes when A1C levels are higher than 6.5%, so the range for an A1C that suggests prediabetes is between 5.7% and 6.4%.

What are the risk factors for prediabetes?

People who show risk factors for prediabetes are also at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Common risk factors of becoming pre-diabetic include:

  • Being overweight

  • Poor diet

  • Lack of physical activity

  • Age

  • Family history

  • Race & ethnicity

  • Gestational diabetes

  • PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)

  • Poor sleep habits or sleep apnea

  • Smoking tobacco products

People who are pre-diabetic also commonly have other health conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which put you at increased risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

What are the symptoms of prediabetes?

There are no tell-tale signs associated with being pre-diabetic. Most people do not realize that they have the condition until they receive the results of the bloodwork from their physician. There are some symptoms of type 2 diabetes however and if you have already been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and are at a higher risk, you should be alert to these signs as they may indicate your condition has progressed. Common signs of type 2 diabetes include:

  • A frequent need to urinate

  • Fatigue (often tired or exhausted)

  • Blurred vision

  • Increased thirst

  • Excessive hunger

How can you reverse prediabetes?

While the health information above may seem alarming, there is good news too. You can reverse prediabetes and many other health problems by making changes to your lifestyle. That’s where we, at dooable health come in. We are here to support your health goals. Our program is not about weight loss, although many dooable health participants find that to be a very rewarding result of our program. Our goal is to help you with your overall picture of wellness. We want you to feel good about creating a healthy lifestyle that you can maintain.

If you have been diagnosed with prediabetes, we can work alongside your healthcare provider’s recommendations to give you the tools you need to begin eating a healthy diet, full of nutritious foods that will not make healthy eating a chore. We can also support your doctor recommended exercise program to teach you tips about starting and maintaining a regular fitness routine that fits into your daily lifestyle. Going beyond that, we can coach you through making the mental and physical lifestyle changes that will help you change the way you think about your health and ultimately lead to a happier healthier you.

Ready to take control of your health and feel amazing doing it? Start your free trial today.