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Prediabetes Diagnosis: Your Next Steps
Hearing you have prediabetes can feel confusing. You don’t have diabetes yet, but your blood sugar is running higher than it should, and without changes, you’re headed toward a long-term health issue.
At Maryland Medical First P.A. in Parkville, Maryland, Narender Bharaj, MD, and our team work with patients to reverse prediabetes before it turns into full diabetes. Here, we explain what the diagnosis means and how to handle the next steps.
The numbers behind prediabetes
Prediabetes shows up on one of three blood tests:
- Fasting blood glucose between 100-125 mg/dL (normal is under 100)
- A1C between 5.7%-6.4% (normal is under 5.7%)
- Oral glucose tolerance test between 140-199 mg/dL two hours after drinking glucose (normal is under 140)
These numbers mean your cells are starting to resist insulin, the hormone that moves glucose from your blood into your cells, where it is burned for energy. When cells ignore insulin, glucose stays in your bloodstream instead of being used.
Tips to prevent diabetes if you have prediabetes
Without changes, a lot of people with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Insulin resistance gets worse over time. Your pancreas tries to keep up by pumping out more insulin, but eventually it can’t produce enough to overcome the resistance. Once that happens, your blood sugar climbs into diabetic territory.
The damage starts before you cross that line. Pre-diabetic blood sugar levels already increase your risk for heart disease, nerve damage, kidney problems, and vision loss.
The sooner you turn things around, the less damage accumulates. Here are 6 tips to prevent diabetes if you already have a prediabetes diagnosis:
Lose a few pounds
Losing 5-7% of your body weight cuts your diabetes risk significantly. If you weigh 200 pounds, that’s 10-14 pounds.
Overhaul what you’re eating
What you eat directly drives your blood sugar. Refined carbs and sugar spike glucose fast, forcing your pancreas to work overtime. Swap those for whole grains, vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats to keep blood sugar steady.
Load up on fiber from beans, lentils, vegetables, and whole grains. Fiber slows down glucose absorption and prevents spikes. Cut out sugary drinks, white bread, pastries, and heavily processed snacks that send blood sugar through the roof.
Get moving
Exercise makes your cells more sensitive to insulin, so they pull glucose out of your blood more efficiently. It also helps you lose weight and shrink belly fat, both of which improve blood sugar.
You don’t need to train for a marathon. Walking for 30 minutes most days improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels.
Recheck your numbers
After 3-6 months of lifestyle changes, retest your blood sugar to see if it’s improving. If your fasting glucose or A1C drops back to normal, you’ve reversed prediabetes.
If your blood sugar isn’t budging or keeps climbing despite everything you’re doing, Dr. Bharaj may prescribe metformin. It reduces how much glucose your liver produces and helps your body use insulin more effectively.
Stop smoking
Smoking makes insulin resistance worse and increases diabetes risk. It also wrecks your blood vessels and compounds cardiovascular problems when you already have prediabetes. Quitting improves how your body handles insulin and lowers your odds of developing diabetes.
Know what raises your risk
Some things make you more likely to progress from pre-diabetes to diabetes even when you’re doing everything right:
- Family history of diabetes
- Being over 45
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Previous gestational diabetes
- Being African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
If several of these apply to you, you need closer monitoring and more aggressive treatment.
Schedule your prediabetes check-ins
Managing prediabetes isn’t a one-time fix. Regular follow-ups let Dr. Bharaj track how you’re doing, adjust your plan as needed, and catch any problems before they become diabetes.
If you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes or haven’t had your blood sugar checked in a while, schedule an appointment to see where you stand and figure out what to do about it.
To schedule your appointment, call our office at 410-661-4670 or use our online booking tool.
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