Prediabetes as an Early Warning Range

Prediabetes means your blood sugar is higher than normal. It is not high enough to be diabetes yet.

On the blood sugar scale, prediabetes sits between normal and diabetes. Think of a yellow traffic light, which sits between green and red.

It is a signal to pay attention, not an emergency.

Most people with prediabetes feel fine. Feeling fine does not prove your blood sugar is normal.

A blood test is how it is usually found. Two common ones are the fasting glucose test and the A1C test. Each test measures your blood sugar, not how you feel.

Prediabetes raises your risk of getting type 2 diabetes over time.

Some people go on to get type 2 diabetes. Other people return to normal blood sugar. Lasting changes to food and activity may help.

How fast this happens differs for each person. Your care team can help you plan your next step.

A road forks at a Prediabetes sign, with green arrows showing both ways. One way leads to an orange flag marked Type 2, the other to a green flag marked Normal. Food and activity sit along the road to Normal, and the person walks that way.

Key takeaways

• Prediabetes means blood sugar is above normal but below the diabetes range.
• Most people feel fine, so blood tests are how it is usually found.
• Prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes, but the path differs for each person.

Try it

Find your most recent blood test report, if you have one. Check whether it listed a fasting glucose or A1C result.