Pre-diabetes--are you at risk?

According to some experts, having a disease is a lot like taking a car trip: the road you take determines your final destination. And for the 54 million Americans with impaired glucose tolerance, that road may lead them right into Type 2 diabetes.

There has been a lot of information lately about Pre-diabetes. And experts say that preventing diabetes before it starts is easier than treating it.

But since pre-diabetes has no symptoms, how do you know if you’re at risk?

Here are a few of the most common risk factors for developing Pre-diabetes, or Type 2 diabetes:

- A family history of Type 2 diabetes
- Being obese or overweight, particularly if you carry your weight around the middle (are ‘apple shaped’)
- High triglycerides, high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and low “good” cholesterol.
- Having poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Being a couch potato

If you have any of the above risk factors you should talk to your doctor about having a Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) test or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Both of these tests can help you determine if you fall into the category defined as pre-diabetic.

For the FPG test, a result that falls between 100 mg/dL - 125 mg/dL is defined as Pre-diabetes. For the OGTT, 140 mg/dL to 199 mg/dL means you are at risk.

According to research, identifying pre-diabetes and treating the risk factors could lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by as much as 60 percent. It may also lower your risk of complications from diabetes, such as kidney and heart problems.

Experts say the best thing you can do if you’re diagnosed with pre-diabetes is lose weight. And that doesn't mean you have to be bikini-ready. Even a 5 to 10 percent drop in your weight could be enough to stabilize your blood sugar. Along with losing weight, exercise, and treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol will also help.