Pre-diabetes describes “borderline-high” blood glucose levels that fall between healthy, normal levels and the high levels that characterize diabetes. Let’s look at some numbers that might help you understand this a little better. One common blood glucose test is the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, a measure of glucose in the blood after a period of fasting (after a meal, blood sugar increases significantly). Normal glucose levels with this test would be less than 100 mg/dl and diabetic levels would be greater than 126 mg/dl. Anything between 100 mg/dl and 126 mg/dl falls into a risky range of pre-diabetes—so called because people with this level of “impaired glucose responses” are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes within ten years. They also are at an increased risk for heart disease. And the condition is not all that uncommon: 54 million Americans have blood sugar levels corresponding to a pre-diabetes diagnosis.

The good news: A diagnosis of pre-diabetes doesn’t mean you’re doomed to develop the disease. In fact, if you see it as an urgent wake-up call, the diagnosis could motivate you to make positive lifestyle changes that may help reverse the course and bring your glucose levels back into healthy ranges. In one study of 3,234 obese men and women, healthy lifestyle changes—eating a healthier diet that provided more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less high caloric snack foods and desserts, combined with 30 minutes of physical activity five times per week—resulted in a 58% reduction of progression to type 2 diabetes.

For more information on prevention techniques, blood glucose tests, or diabetes in general, go to www.diabetes.org/pre-diabetes.jsp.
Have you been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? What have you done to tackle the problem?

I was diagnosed as having pre-diabetes, or insulin resistance when I saw my dr. Jan. 29. I asked for a referral to a registered diatitian.Jan. 30 I fell and broke my shoulder. Just managed to meet with RD past
Wednesday. She gave me daily meal choice guidelines. I'm trying to plan my meals to fit the guidelines.My physical activity consists of physical therapy 3x/week and at home to increase range of motion and strength. Weather in NE PA has been bad since my accident--only a handful of days that I could walk outside. Can't drive yet. Looking for best info and support. Have family history of diabetes and heart disease.

I was not diagnosed with pre-diabetes although I suspect I am insulin resistant.
I had gestational diabetes with my second pregnancy 21 years ago. I was definitely obese and had been for several years at the point where sweets would drive my appetite right out of control. In desperation in 2005 I finally saw a hypnotist which helped me immediately from the first session with taming a lifelong addiction to sweets especially chocolate. Since then I have practically eliminated junk food and snacks from my diet and have radically changed my diet over time to eliminate virtually all refined sugars and carbs and hydrogenated fats. I've lost 80 lbs and have kept it off within a 5 lb range since then. I am still not at my optimal weight but am no longer in the obese category. Easy? NO. Hypnosis is not a magic pill, there are none but I am so glad I tried it as I feel it definitely did help me. I feel and look a lot younger and feel 100% better about myself than I have in many years.

I'm not dieabetic but I my wife and her mom are and her mom doesn't watch what she eats we try to tell her she should eat healthier and excersise alot shes heavy has two stokes and still doesn't care about everything all we can do is hope she lives her life and hope she doesn't end back in the hospital in another stoke cause that will be the last one before she passes

I have been “pre-diabetic” for about 3 years, officially. My doctor and I have a deal: if I go over “the line”, I will take medication. She tests me every 3 months. My last one I had improved my number considerably, and she said we might go to testing every 6 months. I try to eat beans and legumes, one serving every day. I sprinkle garbanzo or cannellini beans on salads, quisinart lentils or pinto beans for spreads, serve side salads with quinoa or toss barley into soups. I also try to pay attention to the glycemic index, and combine foods that are lower on the index when I eat foods that are higher. It requires that I cook, and prepare much from the dried state to control the salt. I am not big on sweets, which helps, but I like to have a cocktail a couple times a week. My thyroid doesn’t work, and I have been reading that the walnuts, high fibers and soy that I eat may be interfering with the functioning of the thyroid medication I am taking. May help answer why I can’t lose weight even though I eat pretty well, most of the time. When I want pizza, though, I have it. I am blessed in that I like the beans, legumes and grains, and I enjoy cooking most of the time.