{"id":1157402,"date":"2025-02-04T09:37:48","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T14:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nortonhealthcare.com\/news\/"},"modified":"2025-02-18T12:26:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T17:26:20","slug":"prediabetes-misdiagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nortonhealthcare.com\/news\/prediabetes-misdiagnosis","title":{"rendered":"Misdiagnosed diabetes can lead to serious, life-threatening complications"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Diabetes is a condition that affects around 37 million Americans. This disease affects how your body uses glucose (sugar). High blood sugar can cause other health conditions over time, including nerve and eye damage, heart disease and kidney disease. In Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, the diagnosis is made after confirming blood sugar is constantly high. In Type 1 diabetes, this is because the body does not produce insulin. In Type 2 diabetes, high blood sugars result when the body is no longer able to use insulin effectively. Prediabetes happens when your blood sugar is consistently above the normal range but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetes and diabetes diagnoses rely on precise blood sugar measurements and validated testing protocols. However, accuracy depends on proper testing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prediabetes vs. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a healthy body, when sugar enters the bloodstream, the body releases insulin from the pancreas. The insulin unlocks the cells so they can accept the sugar as fuel. Chronically high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) cause damage to your veins and arteries, and over time can lead to kidney failure, loss of limbs or blindness, as well as contribute to metabolic syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prediabetes occurs when blood sugar levels are elevated but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. This is a sign that your body is having difficulty processing glucose efficiently, requiring more insulin to convert food into energy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that affects the pancreas, the organ that produces the hormone insulin. People who have Type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or their bodies cannot use the insulin effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How common is a prediabetes diagnosis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 1 in 3 American adults over age 18 years had prediabetes in 2021. Prediabetes is more common in men (41%) than women (32%). Factors that may increase your risk for persistently abnormal high blood sugar levels include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n