Prediabetes itself is a serious health issue. “Prediabetes goes hand in hand with metabolic syndrome, the term for a condition that includes hypertension, obesity, and high cholesterol,” says Yale Medicine endocrinologist Anika Anam, MD. Each of those conditions raises the risk for serious issues, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
In people with prediabetes, some of the long-term damage to the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys may already be starting. The condition has also been linked to what are called “silent” heart attacks, with symptoms so mild people may not realize they occurred.
