Where does diabetes cause weight loss first?

Written by Guo Min

Endocrinology

Updated on May 03, 2025

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Diabetes is a disease caused by elevated blood sugar levels, leading to metabolic disorders of proteins and fats within the body.

Early-stage diabetes patients sometimes show no symptoms, while others may experience symptoms such as thirst, frequent drinking, frequent urination, increased appetite, and weight loss. This weight loss manifests as a general decrease in body weight; depending on individual constitution, some may lose 5 kilograms in a month, others may lose 10 kilograms, and in severe cases, some may lose up to 20 kilograms. This is a uniform weight decrease across the whole body, not just slimming of the arms or exclusively losing weight in other specific parts of the body, or just the face.

Therefore, in addition to weight loss, patients may also suffer from fatigue, hunger, and dizziness. It is crucial to promptly test their blood sugar levels, diagnose diabetes as early as possible, and prevent the occurrence of chronic complications.

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Diabetic foot ulcer precursors

Diabetic foot, also known as diabetic foot disease, is a very serious complication among endocrine disorders in diabetes, with the most severe consequence being foot ulceration that cannot heal, leading to amputation, and even causing sepsis. Diabetic foot does not occur without reason; there are many warning signs before its occurrence. For example, the affected foot feels cold, it is painful to walk, and there are abnormal sensations. These signs are actually telling you that the blood vessels and nerves in the foot are already affected. Once any abnormal sensation is noticed, it is essential to seek medical attention at a hospital, and it is crucial to provide early and proactive treatment to nourish the nerves and improve circulation in order to prevent diabetic foot.

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Gestational diabetes symptoms

During pregnancy, there are two scenarios concerning diabetes: one is where diabetes is diagnosed before pregnancy, referred to as pregestational diabetes combined with pregnancy. The other scenario is where the sugar metabolism is normal before pregnancy, or there is an underlying reduced glucose tolerance, and diabetes appears or is diagnosed during pregnancy, also known as gestational diabetes. Over 80% of diabetic pregnant women have gestational diabetes. Typically, gestational diabetes doesn't show clear symptoms of the classic "three polys and one less" - excessive drinking, eating, urination, and weight loss. Some women with gestational diabetes may experience itching of the vulva, caused by repeated infections with Candida albicans. Additionally, gestational diabetes may lead to conditions like fetal macrosomia and polyhydramnios during pregnancy, and pregnant women with gestational diabetes are more prone to infections.

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incidence of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes refers to diabetes that appears or is diagnosed during pregnancy, or any degree of glucose tolerance abnormality, which is classified as an independent type of diabetes. Diabetes combined with pregnancy or gestational diabetes can pose serious risks to the health of both mother and child. Before national screening of blood sugar levels during pregnancy was initiated, the detection rate of gestational diabetes was not very high, only 0.24%. However, with the widespread implementation of blood sugar screening during pregnancy, the current incidence rate of gestational diabetes is approximately 1% to 5%.

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Symptoms of gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes refers to abnormal glucose tolerance that occurs during pregnancy. It usually involves only mild, asymptomatic hyperglycemia without the typical symptoms of diabetes such as dry mouth, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss. However, significant increases in blood sugar can lead to symptoms such as dry mouth, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss. It is important to be vigilant for gestational diabetes in patients who exhibit symptoms such as excessive amniotic fluid, a large fetus, or recurrent urinary tract infections. Therefore, it is generally recommended for pregnant patients to complete an OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) by the 24th week of pregnancy to confirm whether they have gestational diabetes. After childbirth, blood sugar levels in women with gestational diabetes generally return to normal, but the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future significantly increases. Therefore, patients with gestational diabetes should undergo diabetes screening 6 to 12 weeks postpartum and be monitored over the long term.

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What to eat for diabetic foot

For patients with diabetic foot ulcers, first, their diet should control blood sugar. Foods with a high glycemic index like porridge, glutinous rice, and rice noodle rolls should be avoided. Additionally, sweet foods are also off-limits; it's important for meals to be regular and measured. Second, as patients with diabetic foot ulcers need nutrients for wound healing, they can eat foods high in protein such as eggs, fish, fish soup, and lean meats to promote wound healing. Third, if the patient also has high blood lipids, it's advisable to maintain a light diet and avoid greasy foods.