What Is Pre-diabetes?
People with pre-diabetes have blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a warning sign that type 2 diabetes can develop if blood glucose levels aren't reduced over time. Pre-diabetes also raises the risk of developing heart disease, and stroke.
Pre-diabetes is also called impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), depending on the test used to diagnose it. Some people have both IFG and IGT.
Pre-diabetes is far more common in the United States than previously believed. In 2006, about 40% of U.S. adults ages 40 to 74—or 41 million people—had pre-diabetes. About 11% of 12-19 year olds in American (about 2 million teens) have pre-diabetes as measured by impaired fasting glucose. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
The good news is that if you have pre-diabetes, you can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes. Studies clearly show that you can lower your risk of developing diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your body weight through diet and increased physical activity.
Last Updated: Tuesday March 25, 2008 08:33:12
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