By BILL HEINMILLER
Los Alamos

Regarding the Diabetes risk check published on March 28 (link), it is understood T2D is very common, and it is managed, not cured. The linked quiz requires less than a minute. It asks 8 questions (9 if a woman) regarding age, sex, family, blood pressure, exercise, race and BMI to determine your overall risk to T2D. 

There is no zero risk response. One caution is if one gets a low risk response, they should not conclude low risk means no risk and nothing more need be done. Similarly, one who gets a high risk response should not choose to do nothing because they are not experiencing any of the classic symptoms. The high risk response includes a very important sentence, but wording could be better: These conditions often do not cause any symptoms. I would clarify that “these conditions” refers to prediabetes as well as early onset diabetes, and would go further and remove the word “often”.

That is why there are millions of undiagnosed diabetics walking around with their kidneys slowly losing function, needing only the arrival of the classic, more severe symptoms before doing anything.

Therein lies the hidden seriousness of T2D. Unlike T1D, T2D sneaks up gradually and it does not clearly announce itself. By the time the classic symptoms do appear, it is well established and much time has been lost in managing it. Managing it is more difficult than if it had been detected much earlier.

What the quiz does is tally points for known correlations between conditions and behaviors, called risk factors, and T2D. But risk factors are just that. Risk. Risk is simply the likelihood something bad will happen. Being at low risk for T2D does not mean you will not develop it, and being at high risk does not mean you will. Many acquire T2D with no risk factors and many with all the risk factors do not. 

Fortunately, we can be more proactive than taking quizzes. T2D can be seen well before it is diagnosed.  I personally recommend anyone over 30, regardless of risk, use a glucose monitor kit and establish one’s own glucose profile and monitor it periodically. The frequency of monitoring should be dictated by the readings. This is no different than periodically checking your blood pressure at home. Actual glucose data supersedes all quizzes, good ideas, “I heard about’s, social media advice, talk about Grandpa Joe’s amputated toes, and queasiness about pricking a finger.

Actual glucose data can be used to base decisions along with advice of a physician. No physician will argue with data. Little in life is simpler, and nothing in life offers such a large payoff at such a tiny investment. The earlier one starts the easier it is to make mid-course adjustments if needed. It is not so easy if one waits until the classic symptoms appear.

All this and more is available from the American Diabetes Association (link).