Prediabetes, now a diagnosable medical condition, is the stage just before actually developing diabetes. Make it your last stop if you're already there. My clients with prediabetes are among the most motivated to make the necessary changes to turn themselves around and go down a healthier road to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Prediabetes is diagnosed when blood glucose levels are elevated but not yet high enough to be called type 2 diabetes. I like to think of prediabetes as a good thing - it's not good that you have it, but it's a good warning sign to encourage some changes.

It is estimated that 41 million people have prediabetes. This number doesn't represent the actual diagnoses of prediabetes but just the estimated number of people who may have it. Could you be one of these people? If you already have a diagnosis of diabetes, think about people around you who could benefit from knowing about prediabetes.

Prediabetes risk factors and diagnosis. The risk factors for prediabetes are the same as for type 2 diabetes: being 45 years or older, physically inactive, or overweight. To find out whether you have prediabetes, ask your doctor to perform a fasting blood glucose test. A result between 100 and 125 mg/dL is prediabetes; a result 126 mg/dL or greater is type 2 diabetes. A two-hour oral glucose tolerance test of 140-199 mg/dL is also a diagnosis of prediabetes (200 mg/dL or greater is type 2 diabetes).

The oral glucose tolerance test is more sensitive to detect prediabetes and diabetes, but it's more expensive and time-consuming and therefore is not as commonly used as the fasting blood glucose test. However, it's your right to ask for either one of these tests.           

Prevention. To delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, the focus should be on physical activity, losing weight, and cutting back on calories and fat. This is the same approach I would take with a client who has already been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Medications can reduce appetite and help with insulin resistance, but nothing has shown clearer results than simply following a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

Sure, it's not easy to start an exercise program, lose weight, and monitor your diet. But compare those inconveniences with the physical, emotional, and financial impact of actually having type 2 diabetes. Once you get diabetes, it's with you for life, so prevention is the solution!