Prediabetes is defined as having higher-than-normal blood sugar levels, but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes to be made. If no interventions and lifestyle changes are made, many patients with prediabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. A diagnosis of prediabetes is made with the assistance of a few blood tests.
Step 1
Schedule an appointment with your doctor if you notice symptoms of diabetes. While prediabetes often has no symptoms, some people do experience increased thirst and frequent urination, notes MayoClinic.com. Fatigue and blurred vision may also occur. Discuss these symptoms with your doctor, along with any risk factors you may have. People who are overweight, inactive or have a family history of diabetes are at increased risk of developing prediabetes.
Step 2
Discuss all necessary blood testing that will be done with your doctor. Ask for written instructions regarding preparing for the tests. Some blood tests require fasting, and others require patients to drink a specific beverage prior to the blood draw. Failure to follow these directions will result in inaccurate results or delayed testing.
Step 3
Visit the lab or doctor's office to have blood work drawn. Two tests are routinely administered to test for prediabetes: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
A fasting plasma glucose test is taken after you have been fasting for eight hours. The oral glucose tolerance test is a little more involved. Fasting for eight hours is still required, but your doctor will give you a high sugar beverage to drink two hours before your blood is drawn. It tests your body's ability to handle sugar intake.
Step 4
Discuss the test results with your physician. MayoClinic.com reports that fasting plasma glucose results of 100 or less are normal. If a blood sugar level is between 100 and 125, a diagnosis of prediabetes may be made. Results for the oral glucose tolerance test should be below 140 to be considered normal. Results of 140 to 199 fall in the range of prediabetes. Repeat or follow up testing may be needed for a diagnosis of prediabetes to be made, depending on your health care provider.
