Doctors emphasise that paying attention to modest blood sugar changes and acting early through lifestyle and medical interventions can prevent the progression from prediabetes to diabetes, with recent guidance refining monitoring strategies.
Keeping blood sugar in check is central to metabolic health, and doctors say even modest changes can signal that the body is beginning to struggle. Jorge Tartaglione told LN+ that fasting glucose should stay below 100 mg/dl, and that readings from 100 to 125 mg/dl suggest a warning zone often described as prediabetes. He added that a blood test for glycated haemoglobin, known as HbA1c or A1C, can show how glucose has behaved over the previous two to three months.
That longer-term test matters because a single reading can be affected by what someone ate the day before. According to the Mayo Clinic and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, an A1C below 5.7% is considered normal, 5.7% to 6.4% points to prediabetes, and 6.5% or higher suggests diabetes. In people already diagnosed with diabetes, the Mayo Clinic says an A1C below 7% is often recommended to reduce the risk of complications.
Tartaglione also said that glucose measured two hours after eating should normally stay under 140 mg/dl. Levels between 140 and 200 mg/dl, he said, fall into the prediabetes range. The concern, doctors say, is not just the number itself but what it can lead to: without action, many people with prediabetes progress to diabetes over time.
The advice from Tartaglione was to act early rather than wait for symptoms. He pointed to regular physical activity, weight loss where needed, a balanced diet and medical follow-up as the main tools for bringing glucose under control. Insulin, he said, works like a key that lets energy enter cells; when that process fails, exercise can help restore some of that function. He also mentioned metformin and tirzepatide as treatment options used in some cases, while stressing that every patient should be assessed individually and have blood sugar checked at least once a year.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
