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July 6, 2026

How long does it take prediabetes to turn into diabetes?

Veronica Grajeda, NP

Medically reviewed by:
Veronica Grajeda, NP

A prediabetes diagnosis can be frightening and discouraging. However, it doesn’t mean you will develop type 2 diabetes. You can lower your odds with early detection, consistent monitoring and positive lifestyle changes. It’s possible to slow the progression of prediabetes or even reverse it.

In the United States, about 98 million people have prediabetes. More than 8 in 10 don’t know they have it.1 People with prediabetes can develop type 2 diabetes within 5-10 years. But this prediction isn’t set in stone. If you have prediabetes, you might ask how long it takes for prediabetes to turn into diabetes.

Prediabetes that becomes type 2 diabetes poses serious health risks. Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S.2 Having it increases your chances of

  • Blindness
  • Heart attack
  • Kidney failure
  • Loss of toes, feet or legs
  • Stroke3

It helps to understand how long it might take for prediabetes to turn into type 2 diabetes. It’s also important not to be misled by beliefs about health timelines. One myth is that diabetes takes years to develop. This makes people think they have plenty of time to improve their habits. These times are different from one person to the next. Some people get diabetes months after they become prediabetic.

Prediabetes is a less severe form of diabetes. Diabetes experts note that the two conditions are distinct. Having prediabetes doesn’t mean diabetes is inevitable. In fact, people with prediabetes can prevent diabetes by managing their condition. They can also adopt healthy lifestyle habits.4

Some people believe they’ll know when their prediabetes becomes diabetes. Unfortunately, most people don’t develop telltale symptoms. Without a blood test, you may not realize you already have diabetes.

If you want to know about how long it takes for prediabetes to turn into diabetes, we have the answers to your questions. Let’s first explain what prediabetes is.

What is prediabetes?

To understand prediabetes, let’s first explain diabetes. Diabetes is a condition characterized by extremely high blood sugar. To keep your blood sugar healthy, your pancreas produces insulin. This is a hormone that converts food into energy. This process moves sugar from the blood to your cells. A person with diabetes can’t use insulin well or doesn’t produce enough of it.

There are two types of diabetes — type 1 and type 2:

  • Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that keeps the pancreas from making insulin. Type 1 develops in children and adults. People with this condition must take insulin every day.
  • Type 2 diabetes is common, 90-95% of all diabetes cases.5 Your body either can’t respond to insulin or your pancreas doesn’t produce enough.

Prediabetes happens before type 2 diabetes.3 This is when your blood sugar is too low for a diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes can also lead to fatty liver disease, kidney disease and heart disease.6

A prediabetes diagnosis needs at least one of these criteria:

  • A1C at 5.7%-6.4% — Blood sugar levels from the past 2-3 months
  • Fasting plasma glucose of 100-125 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) — Blood sugar level after not eating for at least eight hours
  • 2-hour post 75g oral glucose challenge 140-199 mg/dL — How well your body processes sugar after drinking a glucose solution. It should not be high for more than two hours after the test.7

Prediabetes is still possible even when any of these criteria are within healthy ranges.

How long does it take prediabetes to turn into diabetes?

No single prediabetes timeline exists. That’s because prediabetes varies by sex, medical history and other factors. Some people with prediabetes can get type 2 diabetes within five years.3 For others, type 2 diabetes can take up to 10 years to develop.8

Some factors increase the risk of prediabetes. They can speed up the timeline toward diabetes. Prediabetes is more common among individuals who

  • Are 45 years of age or over
  • Have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
  • Exercise less than three times per week
  • Have a history of gestational diabetes (diabetes when pregnant), stroke or cardiovascular disease
  • Have obesity or are overweight
  • Have metabolic syndrome, also known as insulin resistance
  • Have high cholesterol or high blood pressure
  • Have polycystic ovary syndrome (related to hormonal imbalance)9

Prediabetes risk is also higher for some ethnic groups. They include

  • Some Asian Americans
  • African Americans
  • Alaska Natives
  • American Indians
  • Hispanic Americans/Latinx
  • Pacific Islanders.10

Signs of progression

Prediabetes doesn’t have a clear set of symptoms.11 People can watch for signs with blood testing.

Blood sugar levels between 70 and 99 mg/dL are healthy.12 People with prediabetes are between 100 and 125.13 Getting a thorough blood panel can help you check your glucose levels. It can also detect prediabetes early.

Prediabetes usually doesn’t have symptoms. Some signs are darker skin on the back, side of the neck or armpits. Other symptoms are small skin growths or skin tags.9

How to stop or slow progression

Finding out you have prediabetes can be upsetting. With proper care and positive lifestyle changes, you can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Regularly check your blood for prediabetes. This is important if you’re overweight or have other risk factors. Getting tested or diagnosed early can help you prevent type 2 diabetes. It also makes it easier to reverse prediabetes. Research shows that the 2–3-year period after a prediabetes diagnosis is the best time to prevent or even reverse the condition.14

Healthy eating

Most people can benefit from a healthy diet. Choosing whole, fresh foods helps you manage blood sugar. Eating nutritious foods lowers your risk of eye and foot problems, kidney issues and other health conditions.15

You can also manage your blood glucose levels by watching your carbohydrate intake. This includes starches, sugars and fiber. Carbs that enter our bodies are broken down into the sugar we need for energy. To reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, you must limit your carb intake. Use this guide to control your daily carb consumption:

  • Men: 45-60 grams per meal
  • Women: 30-45 grams per meal
  • Snacks: 15-30 grams per snack for everyone15

Nutrition labels should list the number of grams of carbs per serving. If you want to lose weight, stay on the lower end of your carb range.

Some people believe that controlling carbs means not eating fruit. In moderation, sweet fruits can support your healthy diet. If you crave sweets, fruits can be a substitute because their sugars are natural. These foods also contain complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs break down slowly in your body. Carbs found in sugary and processed foods break down too quickly.

Whole, raw fruits are a healthy part of your diet. You can include frozen, canned or dried fruits. Just be sure to check the nutrition label for added sugars. Add these fruits to your meal plan:

  • Berries
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cherries
  • Grapefruit
  • Oranges and fresh orange juice
  • Papaya
  • Watermelon

Another way to boost your eating habits is to eat foods from the Mediterranean diet. It’s one of the easiest diets to follow. The Mediterranean diet helps lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating this diet can reduce your dependency on medication. It also provides better control over your blood glucose.

Physical activity

Physical activity is another vital part of healthy living. Get regular exercise to slow or reverse prediabetes. You can take a walk around the block or ride your bike for miles. It all adds up. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week. This equals about 30 minutes a day for five days.10

You may be starting an exercise program after a long period of inactivity. Talk to your doctor about how best to put physical fitness back into your routine. They may review your medications to see if they could interfere with your physical activity or vice versa.16

Weight Loss

Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Losing just 5-7% of your current body weight can help.10

Keep in mind that prediabetes doesn’t just happen to people who are overweight. Individuals of any body size can progress from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes. This is possible if they have risk factors, such as genetics, age, an unhealthy diet or an inactive lifestyle.

Medication and medical guidance

Prescription medication can help reverse or slow down prediabetes. However, not all drugs are equally effective. They vary in how well they lower the risk of type 2 diabetes or prevent diabetes-related diseases.16

Metformin

Metformin is the most-prescribed drug for prediabetes. Its use can decrease the risk of diabetes.16 This drug appears to provide the most benefit to people with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35. It’s also ideal for people aged 60 and younger and women with a history of gestational diabetes. If you take metformin for a long time, check your vitamin B12 levels if you have peripheral neuropathy or anemia.

Pioglitazone

Dr. Ralph DeFronzo is the deputy director of the Texas Diabetes Institute and professor of Medicine at UT San Antonio. He recommends the insulin sensitizer pioglitazone. This medication has been shown to decrease prediabetes progression by 75%. This rate is higher than the effect of metformin.17

GLP-1 receptor agonists

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists include weight-loss drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide. These drugs first helped people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels.18 You may benefit if you have a BMI of at least 30. GLP-1s can also help if you have a higher risk for diabetes. These drugs can slow type 2 diabetes progression by up to 85%.17 However, you shouldn’t go on GLP-1s just to treat prediabetes.19

Scientific evidence

Scientists work to understand prediabetes better and how it becomes type 2 diabetes. New studies help us learn about progression rates. They also stress the importance of early treatment and monitoring.

Prediabetes progression rates

Researchers have measured global rates of progression toward diabetes. They studied variables such as age, sex, race and ethnicity. These researchers also found a better way to measure how risk factors affect progression.20

Risk factors speeding up prediabetes progression include

  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good” cholesterol)
  • Increased waist-to-height ratio
  • Increased waist-to-hip ratio.

The study also found a higher risk of progression among men and older individuals.

Early intervention and monitoring

Dr. DeFranzo led a study to improve the way doctors diagnose prediabetes.21 His team discovered changes that show up long before prediabetes sets in. They call this stage pre-prediabetes.

One criterion for diagnosis has been the two-hour post-75 g oral glucose challenge. It has a range of 140-199 mg/dL. The study compared it with a one-hour glucose tolerance test. They found that the one-hour test can predict prediabetes earlier than the two-hour version. This is possible even years before the two-hour criteria can detect it.

People can be insulin-resistant before having prediabetes. They can also show signs of cardiovascular disease and early beta-cell dysfunction.

Summary

A prediabetes diagnosis can be frightening and discouraging. However, it doesn’t mean you will develop type 2 diabetes. You can lower your odds with early detection, consistent monitoring and positive lifestyle changes. It’s possible to slow the progression of prediabetes or even reverse it.

If you have prediabetes, you don’t have to cope with it alone. WellMed is here to help. You can rely on our resources to help you manage your blood sugar and improve your overall health. We also encourage you to check out diabetes and obesity tools from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).22

References

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