A new sign of diabetes risk was recently discovered, according to WebMd.com. A sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) used to be thought of as a way for the body to store extra sex hormones. Now research is showing that it plays more of a part in bodily functions than originally imagined.
A study at Harvard School of Public Health compared two groups of women and found that the women with the lowest SHBG levels were much more likely to have diabetes. Later, in a study on men, the results were virtually the same. The gene plays a very casual role, but scientists predict that someday it may be an indicator that early treatment is needed.
First Sign of Diabetes
As far as the history books go, the first sign of diabetes occurred over 2,000 years ago. It was first termed ‘diabetes’ by a Greek named Aretaeus in the first century. The word was derived from the Greek word for ‘siphon’. “…For fluids do not remain in the body, but use the body only as a channel through which they may flow out. Life lasts only for a time, but not very long. For they urinate with pain and painful is the emaciation. For no essential part of the drink is absorbed by the body while great masses of flesh are liquefied into the urine.” As stated by Eugene J. Leopold in his text Aretaeus the Cappodacian (DiabetesHealth.com, 2012).
Sign and symptoms of diabetes
So, what is a sign of diabetes? Well a diabetes sign is any indication that you may have the disease. Symptoms are common signs seen in a disease. One early sign of diabetes is frequent urination, as our Greek Aretaeus notes above. This sign for diabetes occurs because the kidney tries to flush out the excess blood sugar.
Since a diabetic urinates more frequently, the body becomes dehydrated. This causes another sign of diabetes, excess thirst. In addition, because the cells of the body aren’t getting what they want, excess hunger comes into play. Therefore, some of the early signs of diabetes are excess thirst, despite drinking, and excess hunger despite eating. The strangest part of it is that a diabetic is losing weight all of this time in spite of all of it. This is because the cells must now derive their energy from the breakdown of muscles and fat.
Sign of Diabetes in Women
One sign of diabetes in women that differs from that of men is a decrease of interest in sex. This is usually due to depression and blood sugar levels making them feel tired. According to the American Diabetes Association, women experience depression about twice as much as men. This risk only increases in women with diabetes.
Another sign of diabetes that is only seen in women and girls is yeast infections and vaginal itching. For young girls, yeast infections are commonly the first sign of diabetes to appear. These infections can become fairly frequent because yeast reacts to the sugar in the urine. Reactions to medications and a lowered immune system are also causes of this problem.
