Nearly half of people with diabetes don’t know they have it, new study finds

Study says nearly half the people living with diabetes are not aware that they have it.

When was the last time you had your blood sugar checked? It might be worth looking into, a new study says.

Forty-four percent of people age 15 and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed, so they don’t know they have it, according to data analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

The study looked at data from 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023 in a systematic review of published literature and surveys. The findings at the global level are for people age 15 and older.

“The majority of people with diabetes that we report on in the study have type 2 diabetes,” said Lauryn Stafford , the lead author of the study.

Around 1 in 9 adults live with diabetes worldwide, according to the International Diabetes Foundation. In the United States, 11.6% of Americans have diabetes, according to 2021 data from the American Diabetes Association.

“We found that 56% of people with diabetes are aware that they have the condition,” said Stafford, a researcher for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “Globally, there’s a lot of variation geographically, and also by age. So, generally, higher-income countries were doing better at diagnosing people than low- and middle-income countries.”

Younger people don’t know they have diabetes

People under 35 years were much less likely to be diagnosed if they had diabetes than people in middle age or older. Just “20% of young adults with diabetes were aware of their condition,” Stafford said.

Routine screenings aren’t promoted as much for young adults as for older adults. Many larger organizations, like the American Diabetes Association, suggest annual routine screenings for adults 35 and older.

“You can survive with elevated glucose levels for many, many years,” Stafford said. “People end up getting diagnosed with diabetes only at the point where they have complications,” which are more common in older adults.

Depending on how long a person has had diabetes before it’s discovered, the health impacts may vary.

“Diagnosing diabetes early is important because it allows for timely management to prevent or delay long-term complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, and vision loss,” said Rita Kalyani, chief scientific and medical officer at the American Diabetes Association. She was not involved in the study.

Around one-third of adults are diagnosed with diabetes later than their earliest symptom, according to a 2018 study.

What symptoms should you look for?

“Symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst or hunger, frequent urination, blurry vision, unexpected weight loss, and fatigue. However, in the early stages, most people with diabetes are asymptomatic, which highlights the importance of screening and diagnosis,” said Kalyani, a professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Johns Hopkins University.

If you experience any of these symptoms or have a history of diabetes in your family, experts recommend you get a glucose screening.

Globally, in 2023, about 40% of people with treated diabetes were getting optimal results and lowering their blood sugar, said Stafford. That’s why it’s important that future efforts focus on ensuring that more people receive and follow proper treatment post-diagnosis.

That only 4 in 10 patients were seeing optimal results was surprising, as several well-established treatments, including insulin, Metformin and other drugs like GLP-1s, are available.

People with diabetes likely also have other health issues, such as hypertension or chronic kidney disease, which can make treatment complex, Stafford added.

Can you prevent diabetes?

It depends.

While there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, there are many ways to prevent the more common form of type 2 diabetes.

Reducing the amount of red and processed meats you eat can help lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, as previously reported by CNN. You could do this with a Mediterranean diet or by introducing more plant-based foods to your meals.

In addition, limit the amount of ultraprocessed foods you eat, adding more whole foods, like fruits and nuts, instead.

Incorporating physical activity into your regular routine can also decrease your risk of developing not only diabetes but also other chronic diseases. Fast walking for at least 15 minutes a day is just one form of exercise you can do.

“I think, ultimately, if we can also focus more on the risk factors for developing diabetes — preventing people from needing to be diagnosed in the first place — that is also critical,” Stafford said.