The Dangers of Being Pre-Diabetic

When you have a blood test done by your doctor to check your blood glucose levels, also called blood sugar levels, it could come back as saying you are diabetic. Another option is that your blood glucose is higher than normal, but not quite in the diabetes range. This means that you are pre-diabetic. It is important that you understand what this means and what you need to do next.

Blood Tests for Diabetes

While there are some signs of starting to develop diabetes, like fatigue and unexplained weight loss, the only way to know for sure is with a blood test from your doctor. They will test the blood sugar levels in your blood to find out if you are in the diabetes range, or if it is high enough to put you in the pre-diabetic range. This is often called borderline diabetic. If your blood sugar is above 100 and under 125, that usually puts you in the pre-diabetic range. You have type 2 diabetes once it reaches 126 or higher. There are some different tests that are done, including an oral glucose tolerance test and fasting plasma glucose test.

Its Affect on the Body

Being pre-diabetic is good and bad news. While you don’t yet have diabetes, you are at a higher risk for getting it. However, it is good news because it is a warning sign that you need to start living a healthier lifestyle in order to avoid getting diabetes. This is the time when you need to understand how it can affect your body, and that watching your diet and exercising regularly can help you avoid full-blown type 2 diabetes.

Common Risk Factors

If you have pre-diabetes based on high blood sugar levels, that is not the only risk factor. You might also have some other risk factors that may also increase the likelihood of you developing type 2 diabetes. This makes it even more important to understand how you can prevent it. Some common risk factors include being an older adult, obesity, poor diet, lack of regular exercise, genetics, and having an unhealthy lifestyle in general.

How to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Take a look at the risk factors to determine how you can prevent type 2 diabetes if you are pre-diabetic. This includes eating a healthy diet, losing weight, exercising more often, and seeing your doctor on a routine basis for blood tests.

