Learn about impaired glucose tolerance, the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and more.
Types of Prediabetes
Prediabetes is when blood sugar levels are elevated but are too low to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes can be detected in one of the following two ways:
Impaired glucose tolerance: High glucose levels on a diabetes screening tool called the oral glucose tolerance test, which involves testing blood sugar levels before and after drinking a specific sugary drink Impaired fasting glucose: High glucose levels on a diabetes screening tool called a fasting glucose test which involves testing blood sugar levels after a person has gone without food or drink (other than water) for at least eight hours
Impaired Glucose Tolerance Symptoms
Approximately 8 out of 10 people with prediabetes do not know they have it. This is because symptoms may not appear for years or even until the condition has escalated to diabetes.
However, there are warning signs and risk factors of prediabetes, including:
Having excess weight or obesity Being 45 years old or older Having a family history of type 2 diabetes Having a low level of physical activity Giving birth to a baby 9 pounds or more Having a history of gestational diabetes
Diagnosis
A diabetes screening tool, the oral glucose tolerance test, is used to diagnose impaired glucose tolerance. This blood test checks glucose levels after fasting for eight hours or more and compares them to results from another blood test that checks glucose levels two hours after drinking a specific sugary drink.
If fasting glucose level results are between 100 and 125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), it is considered impaired glucose tolerance or prediabetes. Lower levels are normal, and higher levels are considered diabetic.
Treatment
An impaired glucose tolerance diagnosis means you are prediabetic, a precursor that could lead to diabetes. Prediabetes doesn’t typically require medical treatment. Instead, the best treatment if you have impaired glucose tolerance is to make lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and eating the right amount of healthy foods. Additionally, it is recommended that you be closely monitored in case medication is eventually needed.
Prognosis
Many people (up to 80%) with prediabetes don’t know they have it, making them unaware of the necessary lifestyle changes needed to prevent diabetes.
About 25% of people diagnosed with prediabetes will be diagnosed with diabetes within five years. However, when lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are made and weight is lost, the risk of developing diabetes decreases up to 58% for people under 60 years old and up to 71% for people over 60 years old.
Coping
Coping with impaired glucose tolerance involves making lifestyle changes around diet and exercise in hopes of reversing prediabetes and preventing type 2 diabetes.
Some lifestyle changes to jump-start weight loss and prevent diabetes include:
Increasing physical activity Avoiding sugary and processed foods Quitting smoking Avoiding alcohol
Dealing with prediabetes and diabetes diagnoses can also lead to mental health challenges, such as depression or anxiety. It’s essential for people with impaired glucose tolerance to seek support for any mental health challenges they may have.
Summary
Impaired glucose tolerance is prediabetes, which means blood sugar levels are higher than normal but lower than required for a diabetes diagnosis. The condition is diagnosed based on an oral glucose tolerance test, which analyzes and compares blood sugar levels after fasting and consuming a specific sugary drink.
Prediabetes can be treated by increasing physical activity, making dietary changes, and losing weight. These lifestyle changes help to decrease the risk of developing diabetes. Many people with prediabetes can make the necessary changes to improve their health and lower their risk of diabetes.
A Word From Verywell
Suspecting, being diagnosed with, and living with impaired glucose tolerance can be challenging, especially when the lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes do not always come easily. If you or someone you know is experiencing this condition, help is available. It is possible to change habits and behaviors, lose weight, and reverse impaired glucose tolerance.
