Weird early warning signs

Chronic illness comes in many different forms – but some of their earliest symptoms can be downright bizarre, discovers

Major illnesses often feel like they strike out of nowhere. But science is discovering that unusual early warning signs for diseases can be detected years – in some cases decades – beforehand.

It means it may be possible to take steps to lessen their impact, if not prevent some illnesses altogether.

Researchers from Israel, for example, were surprised to discover that constipation is a very unusual early indicator of Parkinson’s. And that can show up to 20 years before the disease actually manifests.

Parkinson’s affects 145,000 people in the UK, slowly damaging brain cells that control a range of functions, including how the bowel works.

Discovering those at risk decades before they get ill means they can be treated earlier with drugs to reduce the full impact of the disease.

Here’s our guide to other unexpected warning signs and what you can do to keep one step ahead.

Loss of smell could mean dementia

One of the earliest signs of dementia could be loss of smell.

Experts at Chicago University found healthy people who could not identify at least four out of five everyday odours – peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather – were twice as likely to develop dementia in the next five years.

The olfactory nerve, which detects scents, is directly linked to the brain and a decline in smelling ability could be the first sign that the disease is setting in.

The American researchers said: “Just a simple smell test could be a quick and inexpensive way to identify those who are already at high risk of dementia.”

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WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Physical and mental activity can reduce your dementia risk. Try learning a new language, doing puzzles or reading challenging books.

Floppy handshake a risk for liver disease

A limp handshake could mean you are developing hidden liver disease.

Scientists in New Zealand tested the grip strength of 4,000 men and women, mostly in their forties, and found those with the poorest grip were twice as likely to have fatty liver – a dangerous condition that affects up to one in three adults and increases the risk of liver cancer or liver failure.

 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Lose weight. Research shows fatty liver can be reversed by shedding around 10 per

cent of your body weight.

Walking slowly a sign of ageing

How fast you walk in your forties gives vital clues to how much your body is secretly ageing. A 2019 study showed those who dawdled had weaker lungs, worse dental health and flagging immune systems – all a sign of premature ageing. Their faces also looked older and they had smaller brains.

Scientists were surprised at the link in such a young age group. Research leader Professor Terrie Moffitt from King’s College London said: “We found a slow walk is a problem sign decades before old age.”  WHAT YOU CAN DO: Pick up the pace to around 3mph, or 100 steps a minute.

Toilet troubles? You could have arthritis

One of the earliest indicators of rheumatoid arthritis – a condition that mostly affects the joints – is urinary tract infections.

The disease is caused when the immune system goes haywire, attacking healthy joints and causing severe pain and inflammation.

But Dutch researchers found sufferers were much more likely to have experienced repeat urinary tract bugs up to six years before their diagnosis. Rheumatoid arthritis causes inflammation of the mucus membranes in the urinary tract, allowing infections to flourish.

 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Ask your GP if you may need a blood test for rheumatoid arthritis.

Dark skin patches point to diabetes

It may look like you have been out in the sun, but dark patches on the back of the neck, around the groin or on the knees or knuckles may mean you are heading towards type 2 diabetes.

The patches are a sign of excess insulin in the blood due to pre-diabetes, where the pancreas, which produces insulin to help burn up blood sugar, is starting to malfunction and full-blown diabetes is likely without some action.

 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Shed some pounds if you are overweight. It can slow or even halt the progression of type 2 diabetes.

Forgetting names? It could be your thyroid

If you regularly forget people’s names, don’t just blame the ageing process. It could mean you have an underactive thyroid, which is a gland in the neck that secretes vital hormones.

One in 50 people suffers with hypothyroidism and women are 10 times more likely to be affected.

When it is underactive, the brain is starved of the hormones it needs to function properly and one of the earliest signs is forgetfulness and loss of concentration.

 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Ask your GP if you need to take a daily hormone tablet■■called levothyroxine to restore healthy levels.

Impotence a red flag for heart disease

Being a flop in the bedroom may feel embarrassing, but it could also be a lifesaver. Scientists now know that men in their forties who regularly experience erectile dysfunction are 80 per cent more likely to develop heart disease within 10 years – even if they have no risk factors, such as raised cholesterol. It’s one of the best early warning signs of cardiac problems to come. Blood vessels that supply the genitals are much smaller than those around the heart, so any restriction in blood flow caused by fatty deposits will show up much sooner.

 WHAT YOU CAN DO: Exercise daily, switch to a healthy diet and limit your alcohol intake to 14 units a week.

Simple smell tests could be a quick way to identify those at high risk of dementia

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