Faqs

Q & A: Prediabetes and Diabetes

Prediabetes

Q. What is Prediabetes?

A. Prediabetes means a person's blood glucose (sugar) level is higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Q. What is the A1c for prediabetes?

A. A person with an A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 percent is referred to as a person with prediabetes. An individual with no history of diabetes will typically have an A1C level below 5.7 percent.

Q. What is the blood sugar value for prediabetes?

A. Blood sugar of 100 to 125

Diabetes

Q. What are risk factors for Diabetes?

Age 45 years old or greater
Are overweight
Are African American, Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or American Indian
Have a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes
Have high blood pressure
Have low HDL (good cholesterol) and high levels of blood fats
Had diabetes when pregnant, or gave birth to a large baby (over 9 pounds)
Are physically active less than three times a week

Q. How do I know if I have diabetes?

A. You may have one or more of the warning signs listed on the next page, or you may have no signs at all.

Talk to your health care provider about getting a blood test to check your glucose levels to know

if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes (a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal,

but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes).

The signs of Type 2 diabetes are:

Being very thirsty
Urinating often (especially at night)
Feeling very hungry or tired
Losing weight without trying
Having sores that heal slowly
Having dry, itchy skin
Losing the feeling in your feet or having tingling in your feet
Having blurry eyesight

Q. What can I do to control or prevent diabetes?

A. Managing diabetes requires effort every day to eat healthy foods, be physically active, take diabetes medicine as prescribed and test blood glucose levels. You can take steps to prevent or slow down other health problems diabetes can cause over the years by keeping your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol under control. If you have diabetes, work with your health care provider to create a plan for managing your health. You can do a lot to lower your chances of getting diabetes. Some tips are:

Be physically active on a regular basis
Eat less fat and fewer calories
Lose weight if you need to

All people with diabetes need to make healthy food choices, stay at a healthy weight, and be physically active every day. Taking good care of yourself and your diabetes can help you feel better. It may help you avoid health problems caused by diabetes such as:

Heart disease and stroke
Eye problems that can lead to trouble seeing or going blind
Nerve damage that can cause your hands and feet to feel numb. Some people may even lose a foot or a leg
Kidney problems that can cause your kidneys to stop working
Gum disease and loss of teeth