You may feel just fine and have none of the traditional symptoms of diabetes — constant thirst, frequent urination, etc. — but you may have signs of diabetes (pre-diabetes) of which you are completely unaware. This article explains what to look for and how to possibly prevent developing full-blown type 2 diabetes.
I’m going to use the terms “signs” and “symptoms” differently here. Symptoms are things you would usually notice. The most famous symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, constant thirst, lack of energy, blurred vision and so on. A person might not recognize these as symptoms of diabetes, but he or she will surely recognize them as symptoms of something not right with them.
Signs, on the other hand, may not necessarily be the same thing as symptoms of diabetes. The main signs of pre-diabetes are not noticeable without testing. If you have any of these signs then chances are good you have several of them. You could have some or all of these signs and not even know it until the symptoms hit, and that will be too late.
In brief, these are the main signs of pre-diabetes to watch out for:
- triglycerides (fats in your blood), 150 mg/dl or higher
You can’t detect whether you have elevated levels of triglycerides by how you feel, but you can feel their effect if left undiagnosed and untreated. High triglycerides are a sign not only of pre-diabetes, but of cardiac and vascular disease.
- low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, under 40 mg/dl for men and under 50 mg/dl for women
This too is a sign not only of pre-diabetes but cardiac and vascular disease as well. Contrary to TV advertising, most of your cholesterol (both good and bad) comes from your liver, not from the foods you eat. One of the main factors that cause the liver to produce less HDL (the “good cholesterol”) and more of the “bad” LDL is high blood-sugar levels.
These two signs can and should be tested in a “lipid profile” — basically, a test of the fats in your blood. Your doctor can explain and schedule the test for you.
The next two signs might possibly be felt, but even then will usually be very subtle.
- high blood pressure, 135/85 or higher
Also called hypertension, high blood pressure is well-known as a danger for heart attacks and strokes. It is also a common sign of diabetes and pre-diabetes.
- fasting blood sugar of 110 mg/dl or higher
The classic sign of diabetes is high blood sugar. In a normal person without diabetes, blood sugars will go up after eating, and especially after eating carbohydrate-rich foods. But at their highest they will usually not go much above 140 mg/dl, and in a
short time quickly drop back into the 80–100 mg/dl range.
A normal person’s fasting blood sugar (before breakfast) will not be 110 mg/dl or higher. If you get such a result it is very likely that you are diabetic. In any case, see your doctor.
There is one more sign, which could very well be considered a symptom, because it is obvious. In fact it is the most obvious sign, one you see every day in the mirror if it applies to you. And that is:
- obesity
Obesity doesn’t necessarily mean you are grossly overweight. Think of it as a medical term rather than as a physical description.
Below is a chart called the BMI, or Body Mass Index. You can use the chart to determine whether you are obese or just overweight or in the healthy weight range.
Directions: Find the your height in the left hand column. Move across the row to your weight. Where they intersect, this is your BMI range.
Healthy Weight: 18.5 — 25 BMI range indicates a healthy weight
Overweight: 25–30 BMI range indicates overweight
Obese: 30 BMI range and above indicates that a person is obese
* The BMI may not be accurate for people with greater muscle mass such as elite athletes.
Of course, not everyone who is overweight or obese has diabetes or pre-diabetes. But obesity is the base from which most of the other signs of diabetes operate. If you have a BMI of 30 or higher and you have two or more of the other signs described in this article, you are at very high risk for diabetes and other serious health problems.
That can be quite disconcerting, but there is a bit of a silver lining around this dark cloud. You can do something about it. If you reduce your body-fat to healthy levels, the other signs are bound to be reduced as well. Weight loss and weight control are key to preventing diabetes and pre-diabetes.
So if you are obese (that is, if your BMI is higher than 30), it is vital that you know what your other levels are. Knowledge of your triglycerides, HDL, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar will tell whether you are at risk.
It is not very likely that you can test these at home (though if you have a reliable blood pressure kit and blood sugar meter you could test those). Are you comfortable not knowing? See your doctor and find out what you need to know.
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