Prediabetes: What It Is, How It Leads to Type 2 Diabetes, and What You Can Do

When your prediabetes, a condition where blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Also known as impaired glucose tolerance, it’s not a diagnosis you ignore—it’s a warning sign your body is struggling to manage sugar properly. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has it, and most don’t even know. That’s because prediabetes rarely causes obvious symptoms. No tingling feet, no constant thirst—just quietly rising numbers on a lab report. But left unchecked, it almost always turns into type 2 diabetes within 10 years. The good news? You can stop it.

Prediabetes isn’t just about sugar. It’s about insulin resistance, when your cells stop responding well to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your muscles and organs. Your pancreas tries to keep up by pumping out more insulin, but over time, it burns out. That’s when blood sugar climbs for good. And it’s not just diet. Being overweight, especially around the belly, moves the needle. So does sitting too much, sleeping poorly, or having a family history. Even certain medications—like long-term steroids or some antipsychotics—can push you into prediabetes. You don’t need to be obese to have it. Many people with prediabetes are just 10 to 20 pounds over their healthy weight.

What’s next? You can reverse this. Not with pills, not with magic supplements, but with real, everyday changes. Losing just 5% of your body weight cuts your risk of diabetes by more than half. Walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, does more than most drugs. Cutting back on sugary drinks and refined carbs—white bread, pastries, sweetened cereals—makes a measurable difference. Studies show people who make these changes reduce their risk by up to 58%. And the benefits don’t stop at blood sugar. Your blood pressure drops. Your cholesterol improves. You feel more energy. You sleep better. This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about tuning up the body you already have.

Some people get prescribed metformin, a cheap, safe drug that helps your body use insulin better. But even then, lifestyle is the foundation. Medication without change doesn’t last. Change without medication? It works. The posts below cover what works, what doesn’t, and what’s often misunderstood. You’ll find guides on how to choose the right diabetes medication if you’ve progressed, how to spot hidden sugar in foods, why some blood pressure drugs affect your glucose, and how weight loss surgery can reverse prediabetes in severe cases. You’ll also see how people use digital tools, track progress, and stay motivated. This isn’t theory. These are real stories, real data, and real steps you can take today.