Prediabetes: When To Call A Doctor

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When to Call a Doctor

The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for prediabetes, which may lead to type 2 diabetes, if you:²

• Are overweight and are age 45 or older. Get checked for prediabetes during your next routine office visit.
• Are at a healthy weight and are age 45 or older. During a routine office visit, ask your doctor if testing is appropriate.
• Are younger than 45 and overweight—your body mass index (BMI) is 25 or greater—and you have one or more other risk factors for type 2 diabetes. These include:
  • High blood pressure, over 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
  • Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and high triglyceride.
  • A family history of type 2 diabetes. People who have a parent, brother, or sister with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of getting the disease than adults who do not have a family history of the disease.
  • A history of gestational diabetes or having a baby weighing more than . Women who have had gestational diabetes or who have had a large baby are at greater-than-average risk for getting type 2 diabetes later in life.⁴
  • Risk due to race or ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at greater risk than whites for getting type 2 diabetes.⁴
• Are overweight and get little or no exercise and want to help reduce your risk for getting type 2 diabetes.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends diabetes testing for people who have blood pressure higher than 135/80.⁹

Last updated:	August 12, 2008
Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Reviewed By:	Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Jennifer Hone, MD - Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC