Don’t let diabetes sneak up on you: A quick check can make a difference
Parkland experts encourage knowing your risk this Diabetes Alert Day
Diabetes develops gradually. Blood sugar levels rise over time, often without obvious symptoms. Many people feel completely fine until they’re not. According to the 2022 Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment, diabetes is one of the leading chronic diseases among Dallas County residents.
So why is it so often diagnosed later than it should be?
“One of the hardest things about diabetes is that often people feel well and therefore do not go to see their provider to be screened for it,” said Uma Gunasekaran, MD, endocrinologist and Executive Medical Director of the Global Diabetes Program at Parkland Health and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Oftentimes, people find out because they have another health concern and are incidentally found to have diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body cannot use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas works overtime to keep blood sugar in check. Over time, it can’t keep up. Because that process can take years, the warning signs may be easy to overlook or dismiss.
“When people don't get screened or don't know what factors put them at a higher risk for developing diabetes, they often get diagnosed in the acute setting such as an urgent care clinic or the emergency department,” said Dr. Gunasekaran.
Before Type 2 diabetes develops, many people experience prediabetes — when blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet in the diabetes range.
Prediabetes often has no clear symptoms. But it also presents a critical window to address or even reverse the progression of the disease with lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise and weight loss.
“Common myths we heart often about diabetes include thinking that only overweight people get diabetes. Weight is a risk factor, but anyone can develop diabetes,” said Mary Beth Robinson, MS, RD/LD, CDCES, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist at Parkland. “Another myth is that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. It can, but there are several other complex factors beyond sugar intake alone. Or the belief that people with diabetes have to eat special foods or only ‘diabetic foods.’ Of course, following a healthy meal plan with more whole foods and less processed foods is priority.”
You may be at higher risk if you:
• Are overweight
• Eat an unhealthy diet
• Have high blood pressure or high cholesterol
• Do not exercise regularly
• Have a family history of diabetes
When symptoms do appear, they can include:
• Frequent urination
• Increased thirst or hunger
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Frequent urinary tract or yeast infections
But waiting for symptoms is not the safest plan. The earlier diabetes risk is identified, the more options people have to prevent or delay it.
“If you realize you may be at risk of developing diabetes, first make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your risk and concerns and request a lab test (A1c) to review your results,” Robinson said. “Additionally, simple changes you can make immediately include replacing sugary drinks (sodas, juice, sweetened coffee and milk) with non-sugary drinks such as water. Additionally, you can introduce exercise into your routine by walking 20 to 30 minutes daily.”
On March 24, American Diabetes Alert Day, Parkland experts encourage the community to take a simple step: complete a 60-second risk assessment.
If you think you may be at risk, take the test and start on a path toward a healthier future.
Learn more at www.parklanddiabetes.com/diabetes/whats-your-risk.
For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhealth.org.
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