Transcript: Before people develop Type 2 diabetes, they usually have pre-diabetes. Since 54 million Americans have this condition, it’s vital to know: What is pre-diabetes? Pre-diabetes, also known as impaired fasting glucose, is a condition that occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but are not high enough to be considered full-blown diabetes. More than 55 percent of pre-diabetics go on to develop type 2 diabetes, but there’s good news: The chance of developing type 2 diabetes can be reduced by more than half with simple lifestyle changes! Take a look at these three very different people. Which one of them do you think has the high blood glucose that equates to pre-diabetes? Actually, you can’t tell just by looking. Pre-diabetes is an asymptomatic condition that can happen to anyone.  There are certain people, however, who have a higher risk of developing the condition and should be extra cautious. A. People who are obese or B. over 45 are more likely to be among the millions who currently have pre-diabetes. C. The condition also occurs more often in tobacco users and D. those of non-Caucasian ethnicity.  If you are in a high-risk group, you should be checked at your next doctor’s appointment, and annually thereafter. Even those with normal blood glucose levels should be tested ever three years.  To determine if you have pre-diabetes, your doctor will give you a fasting plasma glucose test or an oral glucose tolerance test. Both tests measure blood sugar after fasting and the oral test also measures it after you consume a sugary drink.  1. Normal fasting blood glucose is below 100 mg/dl but a 2. person with pre-diabetes has a fasting level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. With the oral test, when glucose levels are measured after sugar consumption, normal glucose should be below 140 mg/dl. Levels between 140 and 200 mg/dl are defined as pre-diabetes, while readings higher than 200 qualify a person as a diabetic. Fortunately, if you have pre-diabetes, a few lifestyle changes can help you avoid becoming a type 2 diabetic! Losing between five and ten percent of your total body weight is the key to preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes.   Moderate exercise, such as walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, is a good way to facilitate this necessary weight loss.  A healthy diet low in simple sugars and rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins, is also a good way to attain the weight loss that helps treat pre-diabetes.  These simple lifestyle changes will not only prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes—they can also help turn back the clock on pre-diabetes, returning elevated glucose levels to a normal range.Because pre-diabetes has no symptoms, remember to ask your doctor to test you during your next visit, especially if you are at high risk group for developing the condition.