Borderline Diabetes
Has your doctor or someone you know told you that you have borderline diabetes?
There is no such thing as borderline diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the definition of
diabetes is a former term for Type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose
tolerance.
Most people who have been told they have “borderline” diabetes actually have diabetes or may have pre-diabetes. People with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetic range have pre-diabetes.
- To be diagnosed with pre-diabetes, you must have one of the following:
- Blood sugar higher than normal but not high enough for diabetes diagnosis
- Impaired fasting glucose = (blood sugar) of 100 125 mg/dL
-A test that measures your blood sugar after you have gone overnight without eating - Impaired glucose tolerance= blood sugar of 140 199 mg/dL
-A test 2 hours after a meal or glucose tolerance test (sweet liquid given at the doctors office or laboratory
You may also be told you have insulin resistance.
This means your body is producing insulin but the insulin is not able
to work properly, causing the blood sugar to be high. The tests
mentioned above indicate insulin resistance or pre-diabetes.
left uncontrolled, this may develop into Type 2 diabetes. It is
important to make sure you are following a healthy eating plan and adding physical activity into your day. Eating well, exercising, and losing weight if you are overweight, will help control blood sugar and improve insulin resistance.
Also, review our Prevention
section. The number one cause of death among type 2 diabetics is heart
disease. As a result, tight blood sugar control as well as tight blood
pressure and cholesterol control are required to improve survival with
this disease.
