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Why 4 Out of 5 People With Prediabetes Don’t Know They Have It

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Despite it affecting more than a third of American adults, most people with prediabetes are unaware of it. Prediabetes is a serious health condition in which your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet at diabetic levels. However, both prediabetes and diabetes can damage your blood vessels, heart, and kidneys as well as increase the risk of problems like high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol.

Think of prediabetes as an early warning sign that you might develop type 2 diabetes. If you pay attention to your blood sugar levels, you may be able to avoid or delay getting type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can lead to very serious health concerns like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputations of the feet, legs, or toes. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 81% of people living with prediabetes don’t know they have it. Why is this the case?

No Prediabetes Symptoms

Most of the time, prediabetes has no symptoms. You could feel perfectly healthy and still have it. The only way to really know if you have prediabetes is by getting a blood sugar test, most commonly, an A1c test.

Typically, an A1c level of 6.5% or higher indicates diabetes, while a level between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates prediabetes. However, these ranges may vary slightly depending on individual factors and medical guidelines.

To find out if you have prediabetes, you can talk to your primary care doctor about getting a blood sugar test and discuss the results with them. The Future of Medicine program by Care Access also offers no-cost A1c tests as part of its Heart & Kidney Health Screening.

Prediabetes Risk Factors

Even if you have been tested before, it’s important to have your blood sugar tested regularly, especially if you have any of these risk factors1:

  • Being overweight
  • Being 45 years old or older
  • Having a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 diabetes
  • Being physically active less than 3 times a week
  • Ever having gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) or giving birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds

You can take the CDC’s 1-minute risk test to find out if you’re at risk for getting prediabetes.

Prediabetes Is Preventable and Reversible

On the bright side, prediabetes can be prevented. And if you already have prediabetes, it’s not too late to make it go away or prevent it from becoming type 2 diabetes.

If you have higher than normal blood sugar levels or just want to keep your blood sugar at a normal level, read our article Is Your A1c Higher Than Normal? Here’s What You Can Do. and check out the resources from the American Diabetes Association. It’s easier than you might think!

CONTRIBUTING EXPERTS

Sinikka Green, MD

Dr. Green is the Medical Director and a Principal Investigator at Care Access. She is board certified in emergency medicine.

SOURCES

  1. Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html

DISCLAIMER

The information provided on Care Access is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Our products and content are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.