How do I know if I am at risk for diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease caused by multiple factors including genetics, lifestyle and environment. Risk factors include the following: age of 45 or older, body mass index over 25, family history of diabetes, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, elevated fasting glucose level or prediabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and/or previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes. If you have any of these risk factors, you should talk to your physician and have your blood glucose level tested. Obesity-related insulin resistance can sometimes lead to a skin condition called acanthosis nigricans which appears as a dark rash in the armpits, neck or other body folds and creases. This skin condition can also be caused by other underlying health conditions so it is important to see your health care provider to properly diagnose the issue. Other signs to watch for if you have any of the risk factors listed above include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, infections, blurred vision, slow healing cuts and bruises, and/or tingling or numbness in the extremities.

What do you think about the blood sugar tests that don’t need blood? How are they supposed to work?

I’ve seen the ad on television but I’m not sure these tests really exist. I’ve never seen them demonstrated.