Prediabetes
Blood sugar above normal but below diabetes thresholds (HbA1c 5.7–6.4%) — the reversible warning stage.
Prediabetes is the border zone: fasting glucose 100–125 mg/dL or HbA1c 5.7–6.4%, affecting a huge share of adults, most unaware. It signals insulin resistance already at work, with elevated risk of progressing to diabetes — and of cardiovascular disease in its own right.
Its defining clinical feature is reversibility: modest weight loss (the landmark Diabetes Prevention Program used ~7%) cut progression dramatically, and GLP-1-assisted loss routinely normalizes glucose markers entirely. Prediabetes also functions as a qualifying comorbidity at BMI 27+, making a routine lab result the thing that opens treatment access. If you haven't seen your A1c in a couple of years, that blood draw is high-yield.
This glossary entry is general information, not medical advice, and is written to be consistent with FDA prescribing information and primary trial publications as of its last review. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for personal medical decisions.
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