Symptoms
Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and urination, increased hunger, fatigue, blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the feet or hands, sores that do not heal, unexplained weight loss.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes become visible early, in a matter of weeks. However, symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly—over the course of several years—and can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble.
Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes: Your chances of developing type 2 diabetes depend on a combination of risk factors such as your genes and lifestyle. Although you can’t change risk factors such as family history, age, or ethnicity, you can change lifestyle risk factors around eating, physical activity, and weight. These lifestyle changes can affect your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Read about risk factors for type 2 diabetes below and see which ones apply to you. Taking action on the factors you can change can help you delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.
You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are
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overweight or obese
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aged 45 or older
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have a family history of diabetes
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of African American, Alaska Native, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander heritage and/or ethnicity
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known to have high blood pressure
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having a low level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, or a high level of triglycerides
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having a history of gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby weighing 9lbs+
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not physically active
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having a history of heart disease or stroke
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have depression
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have polycystic ovary syndrome (also called PCOS)
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have acanthosis nigricans - dark, thick, and velvety skin around your neck or armpits
Tests
Overall Weigh-Up
HbA1c provides a longer-term trend, similar to an average, of how high your blood sugar levels have been over a period of time. An HbA1c reading can be taken from blood from a finger but is often taken from a blood sample that is taken from your arm.
Blood glucose level is the concentration of glucose in your blood at a single point in time, i.e. the very moment of the test.
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This is measured using a fasting plasma glucose test, which can be carried out using blood taken from a finger or can be taken from a blood sample from the arm (these are very common everyday tests used by most diabetics).
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However, fasting glucose tests provide an indication of your current glucose levels only, whereas the HbA1c test serves as an overall marker of what your average levels are over a period of 2-3 months.
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HbA1c can be expressed as a percentage (DCCT unit) or as a value in mmol/mol (IFCC unit). Since 2009, mmol/mol has been the default unit to use in the UK.
Note that the HbA1c value, which is measured in mmol/mol, should not be confused with a blood glucose level which is measured in mmol/l. Use this HbA1c conversion tool to help with switching between the two measurement units of the different tests.
HBA1C Tests
These tests are quarterly average blood tests that can gauge if people have reached prediabetes, have become diabetic and how well they are managing their diabetes.
(Source: What is HbA1c? - Definition, Units, Conversion, Testing & Control)
What are the benefits of lowering HbA1c?
Two large-scale studies – the UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) and the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) – demonstrated that improving HbA1c by 1% (or 11 mmol/mol) for people with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes cuts the risk of microvascular complications by 25%.
Microvascular complications include:
Research has also shown that people with type 2 diabetes who reduce their HbA1c level by 1% are:
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19% less likely to suffer cataracts
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16% less likely to suffer heart failure
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43% less likely to suffer amputation or death due to peripheral vascular disease.
