Prediabetes is a condition in which the levels of sugar within a patient's blood are elevated but are below the threshold of diabetes. In the United States, more than 57 million people have prediabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. This condition is also sometimes referred to as impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose. Patients with prediabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. The symptoms of prediabetes are often difficult to detect but should be discussed with a doctor if they occur.
No Symptoms
Most prediabetic patients do not experience any noticeable symptoms of this condition, explain health officials at MayoClinic.com. Certain risk factors, including age, body weight, race or family history can increase a patient's likelihood of developing prediabetes. The ADA recommends that prediabetic patients over the age of 45 who are overweight receive blood glucose screening at least once every 1 to 2 years. Patients who have blood glucose levels that fall within the normal range can be rechecked for prediabetes once every 3 years.
Skin Discoloration
Patients with prediabetes can develop unusual skin discoloration as a symptom of this condition, warn medical officials with the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Affected patients can notice the appearance of dark skin patches across the elbows, knees, armpits, knuckles or along the back of the neck. This symptom, which is called acanthosis nigricans, can cause permanent skin discoloration in certain patients. Affected patients should discuss these skin discoloration symptoms with a medical professional immediately.
Elevated FPG or OGTT Results
The ADA explains that there are two different tests used to evaluate patients at risk for prediabetes: the fasting plasma glucose test, or FPG; and the oral glucose tolerance test, or OGTT. To perform these tests, a doctor takes a sample of a patient's blood after the patient has refrained from eating for at least 12 hours. A doctor may diagnose a patient with prediabetes if the patient has a FPG reading between 100 and 125 mg/dL or an OGTT reading between 140 to 199 mg/dL, according to the ADA.
