Can i be borderline diabetic

People do not need to fast or take any special liquids or medications for this test, and it gives reliable results. According to the American Diabetes Association , a doctor will diagnose prediabetes when test results show the following measurements:.

A doctor will often re-test these levels to confirm that the readings are not due to one-off spikes in blood sugar. Blood glucose monitors for home use are available for purchase online. The NIDDK recommend that people with the following risk factors should undergo a prediabetes screening:. If a doctor identifies any of these risk factors, they may recommend that the person has a screening for blood glucose levels.

Medical professionals advise repeating screening tests every 1 to 3 years if a person has these risk factors. Click here to take the test. However, anyone who is concerned that they may have borderline diabetes should visit the doctor for testing and a proper diagnosis.

Prediabetes is reversible, but it is often easier to prevent than treat. Lifestyle factors are the primary causes of prediabetes, and making changes in some aspects of life can significantly reduce risk factors. A balanced, nutritious diet that moderates sugar intake and regular exercise can help reverse borderline diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, diet and nutrition changes should include the following:.

Click here to find out more about what to eat with prediabetes. Exercise is also important. According to a report in Diabetes Care , exercise can help prevent or delay diabetes from developing.

Current guidelines for Americans recommend that adults should:. Regular exercise and a healthful diet not only help reduce the risk of developing diabetes but also protect the heart against future diseases. The Diabetes Prevention Program DPP was a long-term study that aimed to identify practical steps for reducing diabetes risk and reversing prediabetes.

The people who took part in the DPP Lifestyle Change Program aimed to lose 7 percent of their body weight and maintain this loss through dietary changes and activity. After 3 years, the results of the program showed:. Follow-ups took place regularly. After 15 years, people in the DPP Lifestyle Change Program continued to see a delay in the onset of diabetes compared to people who took a medication called metformin or a placebo.

Anyone who developed diabetes during the study received extra medical care. However, diet and exercise remained important in managing symptoms and reducing the risk of complications. In addition to lifestyle changes, doctors may recommend other steps for managing the risk of diabetes.

Medical management may include treating related conditions, such as obesity and heart disease. Learn more about different diabetes types and treatments.

Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. The Surprising Truth About Prediabetes.

Minus Related Pages. Prediabetes Flies Under the Radar You can have prediabetes for years but have no clear symptoms, so it often goes undetected until serious health problems show up.

Through the program, participants: Work with a trained coach to make lasting lifestyle changes. Discover how to eat healthy and add more physical activity into their day. Find out how to manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can slow progress.

Type 1 and Type 2: Not the Same. Type 1 often starts quickly and has severe symptoms; type 2 is gradual and develops over many years. Type 1 occurs most often in children, teens, and young adults; type 2 occurs most often in older people though increasingly children, teens, and young adults are developing it. Even though prediabetes is not full-blown diabetes, having too much sugar in your blood can still damage your organs — especially your kidneys.

It may cause you to have too much protein in your urine, which stresses your kidneys. Sometimes the symptoms of prediabetes can go away if you take better care of your health, but they can come back if you fall back into an unhealthy lifestyle.

If you have one of these symptoms, it does not mean you have prediabetes. However, you may want to bring it up with your primary care provider at your next appointment. A blood test can tell you if you have prediabetes. There are several different types and they are the same tests that diagnose Type 2 diabetes.

Talk with your primary care provider to see if they think you need one of these tests. Most people diagnosed with prediabetes develop Type 2 diabetes within 10 years. This means you should have time to prevent this from happening.

On the other hand, it takes about three years to reverse prediabetes.