Prediabetes in Younger Adults Raises Death Risk

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Alternative Health, Health & Fitness

4.6 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Prediabetes raises the risk of death by 64% in adults aged 20 to 54, making it far more dangerous at a younger age than later in life
Most people with prediabetes have no obvious symptoms, which means you could be at risk without knowing it unless you get tested
Unlike older adults, younger people with prediabetes often face faster disease progression and fewer overlapping health issues to mask the danger
Simple lifestyle shifts like cutting vegetable oils, reintroducing the right carbs, reducing toxin exposure, and getting daily sunlight restore your body's ability to make energy
The HOMA-IR test is an effective way to track insulin resistance and see if your efforts are truly reversing prediabetes

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you're between 20 and 54, did you know pre-diabetes raises your risk of death by 64%?
0:06.0	Even if you feel fine today, have you checked yours?
0:10.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:13.0	Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:18.0	No reading required.
0:20.0	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest're on the go. No reading required. Subscribe for free at
0:20.9	Mercola.com for the latest health insights. Hello and welcome to Dr.
0:25.6	Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster. Today we're tackling why
0:30.2	pre-diabetes is more dangerous at a younger age, how to spot it early, and what
0:35.2	steps actually move you back to health. I'm Alara Sky.
0:39.3	Pre-diabetes means your blood sugar is elevated, but not yet in the diabetes range,
0:44.3	typically reflected by a hemoglobin A1C between 5.7% and 6.4%.
0:51.3	You might have no symptoms for months or years. When signs do show up, fatigue, constant
0:56.9	thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, they often arrive after damage is underway. Researchers
1:03.6	analyzed data from 38,093 U.S. adults collected from 1999 to 2018 and follow deaths through the National Death Index.
1:13.6	After adjusting for lifestyle and existing conditions, the dangerous link persisted only in those 20 to 54.
1:20.6	In that group, pre-diabetes predicted a 64% higher risk of death compared to peers without it. In older adults, other illnesses
1:29.6	tended to overshadow the effect. That age pattern has a clear logic. When blood sugar troubles
1:35.6	start earlier, you face more years for damage to accumulate. Younger adults also tend to have
1:41.9	fewer overlapping conditions, so the impact of pre-diabetes
1:45.7	stands out and progresses faster.
1:48.9	Add modern pressures, processed food, stress, and less time for care, and the risk compounds.
	...

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