Prediabetes
When to Call a Doctor
The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for prediabetes—which may lead to type 2 diabetes—if you:2
- Are overweight and are age 45 or older. Get checked for prediabetes during your next routine office visit.
- Are at a healthy weight and are age 45 or older. During a routine office visit, ask your doctor if testing is appropriate.
- Are younger than 45 and overweight—your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or greater—and you have one or more other risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These include:
- High blood pressure, over 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
- Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and high triglyceride.
- A family history of type 2 diabetes. People who have a parent, brother, or sister with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of getting the disease than adults who do not have a family history of the disease.
- A history of gestational diabetes or having a baby weighing more than 9 lb (4 kg). Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have had a large baby are at greater-than-average risk for getting type 2 diabetes later in life.5
- Risk due to race or ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at greater risk than whites for getting type 2 diabetes.5
- Are overweight and get little or no exercise and want to help reduce your risk for getting type 2 diabetes.
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| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: August 23, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Jennifer Hone, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism | |
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