Diabetes is diagnosed when a person’s fasting blood glucose level is higher than 125 milligrams per deciliter. People who have a fasting blood glucose of 100 to 125(pre-diabetes range) are said to have "impaired fasting glucose" and are more likely to develop diabetes than people with lower fasting blood sugar levels.  Some studies have suggested that the risk of developing diabetes may be higher even at the high end of what is considered to be normal levels (90 t0 99).   Indeed, the complications of diabetes begin in the pre-diabetes range.

Research shows that, although the overall risk of developing diabetes is low in people with normal fasting blood sugar levels, the risk increases as fasting blood sugar increases.   For every 1 milligram per deciliter increase in fasting blood sugar, the risk of developing diabetes increases about 6 percent.  Persons with a fasting blood sugar of 95 to 99(high normal range) are more than twice as likely to develop diabetes as those with a fasting blood sugar less than 85;  moreover, persons having a fasting blood sugar of 90 to 94 are about forty nine percent more likely to develop diabetes than those with a fasting blood sugar less than 85.

It is widely known that people with diabetes are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD, disease of the heart and blood vessels). Research indicates that the higher a person’s blood glucose level—even at levels below those found in diabetes—the greater the chances that he or she will have a heart attack. Two out of three people with diabetes today will die from heart disease or stroke.

It can be seen that when it comes to blood sugar, the lower the fasting blood sugar in thenormal optimal range, the better.  People who make appropriate lifestyle changes can significantly reduce their risk of diabetes complications.