12 Simple Ways to Fight Prediabetes

Jennyvi's mother has diabetes, so the elevated blood glucose reading was especially worrisome. Online, Jennyvi learned that her test level meant she had prediabetes—a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes and also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"I had been in a little bit of denial because, really, I was overweight and unhealthy, but I didn't realize it," says Jennyvi, a bridal and evening gown designer from Phoenix. "I knew that if I get to the diabetes level, it'll cause me problems later."

The hidden condition

As many as 60 million people in the United States have prediabetes, yet more than 90 percent of them don’t know it. People with prediabetes usually have no symptoms, and many who learn about their prediabetes think it’s no big deal.

"People do not take this as seriously as they need to," says Ann Albright, PhD, RD, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "The good news is there is something you can do about it," Dr. Albright adds.

The best way to fight prediabetes and get your blood sugar back in the normal range is with a coordinated plan of healthy nutrition, increased physical activity and lifestyle coping strategies that support modest weight loss if you are overweight. (Modest weight loss is defined as losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight.) Research shows that following such a plan not only reduces diabetes risk, but does it better than using medication. Improvements in glucose levels may be seen in as little as three months.

If you have prediabetes, you need to start making lifestyle changes quickly. There's a window of only about three to six years in which you can turn around elevated glucose levels, Dr. Albright says.

Know your risk