Urgent ‘silent’ diabetes warning as routine NHS tests miss killer condition – 7 clues to watch for

THOUSANDS of men in the UK could be living with ‘silent’ diabetes, scientists have warned.

Routine diabetes checks may give false negative results in people with a common but often undiagnosed genetic deficiency.

1

Scientists fear this could leave thousands, particularly black and South Asian men – who are more likely to carry the gene – at risk of serious type 2 diabetes complications due to delayed diagnosis.

The condition, known as G6PD deficiency, affects a protein in red blood cells.

While it does not cause diabetes, it can skew the results of the standard HbA1c test – the main tool used by the NHS to diagnose and monitor the disease.

This means blood sugar levels may appear lower than they really are, allowing type 2 diabetes to go unnoticed until it causes serious harm.

Men with the deficiency were found to have a 37 per cent higher risk of complications such as kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage.

Researchers from the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London analysed health data from more than 510,000 people.

They found one in seven black men and one in 63 South Asian men carry the gene, compared to fewer than one in 100,000 white men.

Yet fewer than one in 50 men with the condition are ever diagnosed.

Professor Ines Barroso, of the University of Exeter, said: “Our findings highlight the urgent need for changes to testing practices to tackle health inequalities.

“Doctors and health policy makers need to be aware that the HbA1c test may not be accurate for people with G6PD deficiency and routine screening could help identify those at risk.”

Dr Veline L’Esperance, a GP and senior clinical research fellow at QMUL, said the findings were “deeply concerning”.

She said: “They show how a widely used diagnostic tool may be failing communities that are already disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes.

“Too many people are being left undiagnosed until it is too late to prevent serious complications.”

In the UK, around 5.8 million people are living with diabetes.

This includes 4.6 million people with a diagnosis and 1.8 million people without a diagnosis.

According to Diabetes UK, black and South Asian people in the UK are twice as likely to be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes than white people and face worse health outcomes once diagnosed.

Anna Morris, the charity’s assistant director of research and co-lead for tackling inequities, said: “These disparities are unacceptable and must be addressed to ensure equitable diabetes care for all.

“If our most common test to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes isn’t accurate for people of all ethnicities, it could seriously compound these problems and leave people without the care they deserve.

“Without the reliable tools they need, healthcare professionals risk missing or misdiagnosing type 2 diabetes.”

Dr Esther Mukuka, director of research inclusion at the NIHR, which supported the study, added: “Addressing the impact of G6PD deficiency on diabetes testing is an important step towards reducing inequalities and making sure that everyone, regardless of background, benefits equally from medical advances.”

The 7 diabetes symptoms

According to the NHS, the symptoms of type 2 diabetes to watch out for include: 

1. Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
2. Feeling thirsty all the time
3. Feeling very tired
4. Losing weight without trying to
5. Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
6. Getting cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
7. Having blurred vision

These are the most common signs that are typically reported by those suffering from the condition.

You should visit your GP if you experience any of these symptoms.

However, there are a number of other rarer symptoms that may alert you to this disease.

These include:

1. Dark skin patches
2. Frequent infections
3. Itchy skin
4. Dry mouth
5. Irritability 
6. Sweet breath
7. Tingling or numbness
8. Bad teeth