Nearly half of people with diabetes don’t know they have it, new study finds

CNN When was the last time you had your blood sugar checked It might be worth looking into a new investigation says Forty-four percent of people age and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed so they don t know they have it according to material analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology The review looked at statistics from countries and territories from to in a systematic review of published literature and surveys The findings at the global level are for people age and older The majority of people with diabetes that we statement on in the survey have type diabetes commented Lauryn Stafford the lead author of the scrutiny Around in adults live with diabetes worldwide according to the International Diabetes Foundation In the United States of Americans have diabetes according to material from the American Diabetes Association We identified that of people with diabetes are aware that they have the condition noted Stafford a researcher for the Institute for Fitness Metrics and Evaluation Globally there s a lot of variation geographically and also by age So generally higher-income countries were doing better at diagnosing people than low- and middle-income countries Younger people don t know they have diabetes People under years were much less likely to be diagnosed if they had diabetes than people in middle age or older Just of young adults with diabetes were aware of their condition Stafford noted Routine screenings aren t promoted as much for young adults as for older adults Plenty of larger organizations like the American Diabetes Association suggest annual routine screenings for adults and older You can survive with elevated glucose levels for plenty of a large number of years Stafford disclosed People end up getting diagnosed with diabetes only at the point where they have complications which are more common in older adults Depending on how long a person has had diabetes before it s discovered the strength impacts may vary Diagnosing diabetes early is major because it allows for timely management to prevent or delay long-term complications such as heart complaint kidney failure nerve damage and vision loss stated Rita Kalyani chief scientific and therapeutic officer at the American Diabetes Association She was not involved in the analysis Around one-third of adults are diagnosed with diabetes later than their earliest symptom according to a survey What effects should you look for Clues of diabetes include increased thirst or hunger frequent urination blurry vision unexpected weight loss and fatigue However in the early stages the greater part people with diabetes are asymptomatic which highlights the importance of screening and determination stated Kalyani a professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology diabetes and metabolism at Johns Hopkins University If you experience any of these reactions or have a history of diabetes in your family experts recommend you get a glucose screening Globally in about of people with treated diabetes were getting optimal results and lowering their blood sugar commented Stafford That s why it s fundamental that future efforts focus on ensuring that more people receive and follow proper restoration post-diagnosis That only in patients were seeing optimal results was surprising as several well-established treatments including insulin Metformin and other drugs like GLP- s are available People with diabetes likely also have other physical condition issues such as hypertension or chronic kidney ailment which can make recovery complex Stafford added Can you prevent diabetes It depends While there is no known way to prevent type diabetes there are plenty of methods to prevent the more common form of type diabetes Reducing the amount of red and processed meats you eat can help lower your danger of type diabetes as previously informed by CNN You could do this with a Mediterranean diet or by introducing more plant-based foods to your meals In addition limit the amount of ultraprocessed foods you eat adding more whole foods like fruits and nuts instead Incorporating physical activity into your regular routine can also decrease your jeopardy of advancing not only diabetes but also other chronic diseases Fast walking for at least minutes a day is just one form of exercise you can do I think ultimately if we can also focus more on the liability factors for emerging diabetes preventing people from needing to be diagnosed in the first place that is also critical Stafford mentioned