Prediabetes is a high-risk state for developing diabetes, and currently, more than 84 million adults in the US have prediabetes.1 Diagnosing and managing prediabetes is essential, considering that it increases the annual risk for developing diabetes by 10%, and individuals with prediabetes have a 70% lifetime risk of progressing to diabetes.2 As with diabetes, prediabetes increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), nephropathy, and retinopathy.3,4 The exponential rise in obesity has contributed to the overall impact of prediabetes; individuals with prediabetes that are also overweight or obese have an increased risk of progressing to diabetes.5
However, despite the increased morbidity and mortality, prediabetes is underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is estimated that 90% of individuals with prediabetes in the US are not aware that they have the condition.6 The treatment of prediabetes is a complex and controversial topic in the clinical community; many clinicians are reluctant to screen and manage patients with prediabetes.7 Studies have shown that clinicians rarely provide lifestyle modification counseling, refer eligible patients to an intensive behavioral lifestyle intervention modeled on the successful Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), or prescribe metformin; all of which are recommended in the ADA guidelines for prediabetes.7-10
The reasons for undertreatment are multifactorial; clinicians may not view prediabetes as a disease state that warrants intervention or believe that treating prediabetes does not prevent diabetes or its complications, as well as a lack of FDA approved pharmacotherapies for prediabetes.7-9 However, several approaches to prevent or reduce diabetes progression in these individuals have been successful, including targeting overweight and obesity with intensive lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery, as well as glycemic control with existing glucose-lowering medications.11
“Prediabetes occurs when fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels or 2-hr plasma glucose (PG) levels following an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) lie between normal levels and the cut points for diagnosing diabetes. At present, fasting glucose levels of 100-125 mg/dL, or 2-hr PG levels following an OGTT between 140 – 199 mg/dL are considered to be prediabetic.12 However, the criterion mostly used in practice is the fasting glucose as most clinicians do not routinely do an OGTT” – mentioned Edward S. Horton, MD, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Senior Investigator at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
