You’ve just completed a routine physical exam…certain of a clean bill of health. That is, until your doctor wants to have “a talk” with you.
Your mind goes round and round in circles. “Is it cardiovascular disease? High cholesterol? Cancer?”
The doctor enters the room with a look of concern. Your heart pounds as she sits down to deliver the news.
“You have prediabetes,” she states.
“Oh thank goodness,” you think. “Why does she seem so worried? Anything with that begins with ‘pre’ can’t be that bad.”
Think again.
This frequent misconception is one of the most concerning health mistakes that Americans make. And the consequences can be life threatening.
Prediabetes is a condition in which fasting blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as full-blown diabetes. It is also referred to as borderline diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT).