The diabetes warning . . . 25 years before symptoms

PEOPLE at risk of diabetes can be diagnosed up to 25 years before symptoms start, according to scientists in Sweden.

Looking at 300,000 people for nearly 30 years, they found that subtle changes in inflammation markers, sugar and fat levels in the blood begin two decades ahead of symptoms. Writing in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, they suggest processes tied to chronic insulin resistance — a precursor of diabetes — start decades before diagnosis.

The findings could lead to a device to predict who’s at risk, so people can take preventative measures such as losing weight.