Sometimes loud statements appear on the Internet that a certain threshold of weight loss supposedly "guarantees" the development of diabetes. This formula sounds simple and frightening: if you have lost more than 5% of your weight in six months, you will soon have diabetes. In reality, the medical picture is more complicated: unplanned weight loss is indeed an important signal to consult a doctor, but in itself it is not a diagnostic marker that gives a "100% probability" of the disease. According to accepted clinical recommendations, unexplained weight loss of approximately 5 percent over six to twelve months is considered significant, and it requires a medical examination - this is a general rule for the initial assessment of the patient's condition.
Why can weight drop and why does it worry doctors? In patients with type 1 diabetes, weight loss often occurs due to the body's inability to absorb glucose: in the absence of insulin, fat and muscle tissue stores break down. In type 2 diabetes, unexplained weight loss occurs less frequently, but is also possible, especially if the disease is accompanied by a pronounced metabolic disorder or coexists with other pathologies. At the same time, the same symptoms can be caused by oncological processes, chronic infections, thyroid diseases, mental disorders or side effects of medications, so treatment tactics are based not on weight as an overdiagnosis, but on a full clinical assessment.
How is diabetes actually diagnosed? This requires laboratory tests: fasting glucose measurement, glucose tolerance test or determination of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). It is these numerical criteria that experts use to make a diagnosis, and not weight alone. Modern diagnostic standards specify clear thresholds for test results that determine the presence of diabetes or prediabetes.
When to seek urgent help? If weight loss occurs without conscious changes in diet or physical activity and is accompanied by increased thirst, frequent urination, general weakness, or blurred vision, you should immediately make an appointment with your family doctor. It is also important to remember that the combination of newly diagnosed diabetes and unexplained weight loss sometimes requires additional diagnostics, as in some cases it can be an early marker of other serious diseases, such as pancreatic tumors.
What to do now if you are worried? The first step is not to diagnose yourself, but to make an appointment for a consultation. The doctor will find out whether the weight loss was intentional, check the accompanying symptoms and refer for laboratory tests. Preventive measures that generally reduce the risk of developing diabetes - a balanced diet, regular physical activity and weight control - remain relevant regardless of the reason for the weight loss.
