Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a precursor condition to type 2 diabetes characterized by higher than normal blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. It's also called impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), depending on the test used to diagnose it with. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimate that 79 million Americans aged 20 years or older are living with prediabetes, and most remain unaware of their condition. Without intervention and appropriate treatment, people with prediabetes are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes within 10 years.

The term prediabetes was first introduced in 2002 by the DHHS and ADA. One of the reasons for renaming prediabetes from its former clinical name of impaired glucose tolerance was to highlight the seriousness of the condition and to motivate people to get appropriate treatment. With early intervention and lifestyle adjustments, prediabetes can be slowed, stopped, and even reversed.