Points to Remember About the Diagnosis of Diabetes

• Diabetes and pre-diabetes are diagnosed by checking blood glucose levels.
  
  
• Many people with pre-diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years.
  
  
• If you have pre-diabetes, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes with a low-fat, low-calorie diet, modest weight loss, and regular physical activity.
  
  
• If you are 45 or older, you should consider getting tested for diabetes. If you are 45 or older and overweight, it is strongly recommended that you get tested.
  
  
• If you are younger than 45, are overweight, and have one or more of the risk factors, you should consider testing.

source: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/diagnosis/index.htm