Just Growing Older…or Maybe It’s Type 2 Diabetes?
As we grow older, it’s normal to feel sluggish or experience some hearing loss, right? Not quite. These “typical” signs of aging could actually be symptoms of type 2 diabetes. More than 8 million Americans are unaware that they have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, and those 45 years or older are at highest risk. “A lot of people have prediabetes or diabetes for quite some time before it gets diagnosed,” said Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator for the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE). Because diabetes is a condition that progresses very gradually, “you could feel perfectly fine and have diabetes,” she added.
Before writing off the following symptoms as aging-related, consider that they actually may be warning signs of type 2 diabetes.