If you have one or more of these risk factors, your doctor may want you to be tested for diabetes. You might also be tested at a younger age and more often if you have these risk factors. Talk to your doctor about your risk of getting diabetes and about a plan for regular testing. You will be tested in the morning, so you shouldn't eat anything after dinner the night before. Test results from 110 mg per dL to 125 mg per dL suggest that you have a higher risk of getting diabetes.
Many people have diabetes for about five years before they show the symptoms of diabetes.
By that time, some people already have eye, kidney, gum or nerve damage. There is no cure for diabetes, but there are ways to stay healthy and reduce the risk of complications. If you get more exercise, watch your diet, control your weight and take any medicine your doctor prescribes, you can make a big difference in reducing or preventing the damage that diabetes can do. The earlier you know you have diabetes, the sooner you can make these important lifestyle changes. Your doctor can give you advice about diet and exercise, and how often to be tested for diabetes.