Type 2 diabetes does not begin with a spike in sugar. It begins with a quiet resistance, a slow overload, and a series of small imbalances that build over time.
The real question is not when diabetes starts, but when it is noticed. And the answer often comes too late. Paying attention to early signals can change that story.
Medical experts consulted
This article includes expert inputs shared with TOI Health by:
Dr Chirag Tandon, Director – Internal Medicine, ShardaCare-Healthcity.
Inputs were used to explain how Type 2 diabetes develops gradually long before blood sugar levels become abnormal, highlight early metabolic changes that occur years before diagnosis, and emphasise the importance of timely screening and lifestyle interventions to prevent progression.