Half the Population Is Ignoring This Silent Killer—Are You One of Them?

Think you’d instantly know if something as serious as diabetes was creeping through your body unnoticed? You’d be surprised — a fresh study just dropped a bombshell revealing that nearly half of the people living with diabetes have no clue they’re dealing with it. Yes, you read that right. And guess who’s most likely flying under the radar? Younger adults. It’s a wild wake-up call because diabetes, whether it’s type 1 or type 2, isn’t always shouting the obvious warning signs. So, how do we catch what’s been hiding in plain sight? And what’s really at stake if we don’t? I dove deep with experts to unpack what this means for you — because ignoring it is no longer an option. Ready to get the real scoop and take control? LEARN MORE

• A new study found that nearly half of folks with diabetes (both type 1 and 2) aren’t aware they have the condition.
• The findings also suggest that younger adults are the most likely to go undiagnosed.
• Women’s Health had experts weigh in to explain the implications and what the study might mean for you.

It’s easy to assume that you’d know if you had a serious health condition that could impact your life and future health. But a concerning new study suggests that’s not the case for many people living with diabetes.

The study, which was published in The Lancet: Diabetes & Endocrinology, shows that nearly half of people around the world living with diabetes—both type 1 (an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas) and type 2 (a condition with strong ties to obesity where your body is resistant to, or can’t produce enough insulin, which leads to high blood sugar levels)—aren’t aware that they have the condition. Given just how common diabetes is, it’s fair to wonder if you might be experiencing signs of the disease that you’ve missed or maybe brushed off as something else.

Here’s what experts want you to keep in mind when it comes to these new findings.

Meet the experts: Lauryn K. Stafford, is the lead study author and post-bachelor fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington; Janet M. O’Mahony, MD, is a Baltimore-area internal medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center.

What did the study find?

For the study, researchers analyzed survey and medical data from patients across 204 countries and territories that was collected between 2000 and 2023.

The researchers discovered that in 2023, about 44 percent of people aged 15 and up with diabetes didn’t know they had the condition, with younger adults being the most likely to go undiagnosed. Of note: While the study looked at people with both types of diabetes, the population was largely type 2 diabetics.

Of those who did receive a diagnosis, 91 percent were on medication but only 42 percent of them had healthy blood sugar management. After crunching the data, the researchers determined that just 21 percent of all people with diabetes had their condition well-managed.

Why do people miss diabetes diagnoses?

Diabetes symptoms can be vague or not noticeable at all, according to Lauryn K. Stafford, lead study author and post-bachelor fellow at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. “It can sometimes take time for someone to develop symptoms or complications that are serious enough to warrant a visit to a healthcare provider—this is particularly the case for type 2,” she says.

Some of the symptoms are also harder to pin down and they may be easily chalked up to a less serious cause, like poor diet or not getting enough sleep, making this condition quite tricky to diagnose.

What is the impact of untreated diabetes?

If your diabetes goes undetected, the condition can cause problems with your eyes, kidneys, nerves, skin, heart, and blood vessels over time, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Specific complications may include:

• Vision issues
• Foot and skin sores
• Uncontrolled blood pressure and cholesterol
• Nerve damage
• Bowel issues
• Kidney damage
• A weakened immune system
• Depression
• Irregular periods
• An increased risk of dementia and bone diseases

“Treatment is often necessary to help someone reduce their glycemic levels and manage their diabetes, along with lifestyle changes such as physical exercise and a healthy diet,” Stafford says. The longer someone has diabetes that is not managed by treatment, the greater the risk of complications, she adds.

Janet M. O’Mahony, MD, a Baltimore-area internal medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center, says the potential complications of unmanaged diabetes are worrisome. “Your doctor might be just as concerned about your cholesterol and your feet as they are about your glucose control, because preventing complications is the true goal of therapy,” she says. “So, most people with diabetes will need regular eye visits, cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication, and regular foot exams.”

What are some common symptoms?

Some people with type 2 diabetes have symptoms that are so mild that they’re easily missed, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). But others may experience these signs:

• Peeing often
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very hungry
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurry vision
• Cuts and bruises that are slow to heal
• Tingling, pain, or numbness in the hands and feet

Unintentional weight loss, having a lot of yeast infections, and “feeling that your eyeglass prescription seems wrong,” can also be signs, per Dr. O’Mahony.

How can I get tested for diabetes?

If you or your doctor suspects that you have diabetes, they’ll likely order a few blood tests, per the ADA. Those include an A1C test, which measures your average blood glucose for the past two to three months, fasting plasma glucose, which checks your blood sugar after you haven’t had anything to eat, and oral glucose tolerance test, which checks your blood glucose levels before and two hours after you’ve had a special sweet drink.

Based on the findings, your doctor should be able to make a proper diagnosis and discuss next steps from there.

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.