What is prediabetes?
Prediabetes is a condition in which a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be considered diabetes. This means a fasting blood sugar of 100-125 mg/dl or a value of 140-199 mg/dl two hours after a glucose tolerance test. Prediabetes can also be diagnosed with a A1c value (the three month average blood sugar) of 5.7-6.4%. People with prediabetes do not often exhibit any symptoms. They are, however, at greater risk for developing diabetes and having a heart attack or stroke.
Could You Have Prediabetes?
A person with certain risk factors is more likely to develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. These risk factors include: age, especially after 45 years of age; being overweight or obese; a family history of diabetes; having an African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian
American, or Pacific Islander racial or ethnic background; a history of diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes) or having given birth to a baby weighing nine pounds or more; and being physically active less than three times a week.
Take the short quiz online and find out if you are at risk for prediabetes:
A way to prevent type 2 diabetes
Research conducted on people with prediabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program at National Institutes of Health demonstrated that a 5-7% weight loss could prevent or delay diabetes.
Turning back the clock on prediabetes
You don’t have to change your whole life. Find out which changes matter most and how to make
them stick.
Find a local diabetes prevention program
Visit CDC’s online registry of recognized organizations to find out if there is a lifestyle class being offered at this time in your community. If you don’t find a CDC-recognized program in your area, a local YMCA may offer a similar program. Visit the Y Program Web Site for information about more local programs.
Not sure if a program is right for you or how to pay?
Department of Public Health Contact Information
Heart, Brain, and Diabetes Health Unit
Selma Alves, Diabetes Coordinator
Selma.Alves@ct.gov