Diabetic Research Institute
Nassau, Bahamas
Prediabetes
Prediabetes is a health condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
You're more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke if you have prediabetes.
What Causes Prediabetes?
When you have prediabetes, your body's cells don't respond to insulin properly. To encourage cells to respond, your pancreas produces more insulin. When your pancreas can't keep up, your blood sugar levels rise, laying the scene for prediabetes—and later, type 2 diabetes.
Signs & Risk Factors
Prediabetes can go undiscovered for years since there are no obvious signs, thus it typically remains unnoticed until major health issues such as type 2 diabetes manifest. If you have any of the following risk factors for prediabetes, you should talk to your doctor about having your blood sugar checked.
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Overweight
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Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
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Physically active less than 3 times a week
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Had gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
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Having polycystic ovary syndrome
African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and certain Asian Americans are all at increased risk.
