According to Dr. Leonid Kim, nearly 40 percent of adults in the US have pre-diabetes or diabetes, with one in five individuals being unaware of their condition. In this video, Dr. Kim highlights eight warning signs of diabetes and insulin resistance that appear on the skin. These include shin spots, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, acanthosis nigricans, diabetic blisters, granuloma annulare, eruptive xanthomas, skin tags, and digital sclerosis. Recognizing these skin findings can serve as an indication to seek medical attention and make necessary lifestyle changes. Regular monitoring and control of blood glucose levels are crucial for preventing future complications associated with diabetes.
Key Insights:
- Approximately 40% of adults in the US have pre-diabetes, and over 37 million have diabetes.
- 1 in 5 people with diabetes are unaware that they have the condition.
- Early detection and treatment of diabetes or insulin resistance are crucial for preventing future health complications such as heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, and poor eye health.
- Skin conditions can serve as warning signs of diabetes and insulin resistance.
- „Shin spots“ or diabetic dermopathy are the most common skin finding of diabetes and appear as light brown and scaly patches on the shins, forearms, or thighs.
- „Necrobiosis lipodica diabeticorum“ appears as fewer, larger, and deeper spots that turn into patches of swollen and hard skin with a shiny porcelain-like appearance. It can be itchy and painful, and if left untreated, it may develop into an open sore.
- „Acanthosis nigricans“ is thickened, velvety, and darker skin in the crease of the neck, armpits, or groin, indicating insulin resistance.
- „Bullous diabeticorum“ or diabetic blisters resemble blisters after burns, developing on the hands, feet, and forearms. They are painless and usually heal within two to three weeks.
- „Granuloma annulare“ presents as pink or red bumps or patches, often with sharply defined rings, commonly seen on fingers, ears, or torso.
- „Eruptive xanthomas“ are clusters of firm yellowish bumps with a red halo, appearing on the hands, feet, arms, legs, and buttocks, indicating poorly controlled diabetes or high triglyceride levels.
- „Acanthosis nigricans“ or skin tags are growths hanging from a stalk and often seen on the eyelids, neck, armpit, and groin. They may indicate diabetes.
- „Digital sclerosis“ manifests as tight, thick, waxy skin on the back of hands, causing stiffness in finger joints and possible difficulty in movement.
- If any of these skin changes are noticed, it is essential to consult a doctor for diagnosis and early treatment to prevent future complications.
Transcript
Here are some scary statistics: almost 40 percent of adults in the US have pre-diabetes, and over 37 million have diabetes. But what’s even more worrisome is that one in five people with diabetes are not even aware of it. When it comes to diabetes or insulin resistance, early detection and treatment are key to preventing future health complications like heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, or poor eye health.
In this video, I want to share the top 8 warning signs of diabetes and insulin resistance that appear in your skin. If you see these skin findings, this may be the first clue that you need to be seen by your doctor and start making changes right away. For those of you who already know that you have diabetes, this is a good overview of skin complications that you need to be aware of, as these skin findings offer insight into how well you’re doing in controlling your sugar.
I am Dr. Leonid Kim, board-certified in internal and obesity medicine, and on this channel, I discuss the most up-to-date and evidence-based information on the topics of metabolic health, weight loss, and longevity. Let’s get into it.
The first skin condition to watch out for is called shin spots or diabetic dermopathy. It is the most common skin finding of diabetes, and it often looks like light brown and scaly patches that are oval or circular. You usually see them on your shins and sometimes on your forearms or thighs. It’s usually caused by damage to the small blood vessels. These patches don’t hurt or itch, and often they don’t need to be treated. But if you see them, you do need to get checked out by your doctor to make sure you don’t have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
The next skin condition I want you to be aware of is called necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum. The skin changes are somewhat similar to shin spots, but these spots are fewer, larger in size, and deeper. These spots often start as dull and reddish raised areas or bumps that look like pimples. As the condition progresses, these spots turn into patches of swollen and hard skin that is yellow, reddish, or brown. After a while, these patches take on a shiny porcelain-like appearance, sometimes with visible blood vessels. These can be itchy and painful. For some reason, this condition is more prevalent in women. It doesn’t require any treatment unless it develops into an open sore. It is very important to monitor these as open sores can lead to infections and sometimes even lead to a skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Another skin condition to watch out for is darker skin in the crease of your neck, armpits, or groin. These patches of skin have a thickened and velvety texture and are called acanthosis nigricans. It’s usually a sign of insulin resistance, and the best treatment for this is reversing insulin resistance. For those who suffer from overweight or obesity, weight loss can be very helpful.
Next is a condition called bullosis diabeticorum or simply diabetic blisters. These blisters tend to form on the back of hands, feet, and forearms, and they look like blisters that appear after a serious burn. But unlike burns, these are painless and do not have any redness around them. They usually heal by themselves in two to three weeks. The main things to watch out for are monitoring for infection and getting your blood glucose under control.
Next, a skin condition called granuloma annulare, which is a rash that you often see on your fingers, ears, or torso. This rash looks like bumps and patches that are often pink or red or skin-colored, and these bumps may look like sharply defined rings with raised borders. This condition often has a pretty prolonged course, and there are medications that can be used to clear that up.
Another skin condition you need to be aware of is eruptive xanthomas. It presents as clusters of firm, yellowish, p-like bumps with a red halo. These bumps may be itchy and are often seen on the back of hands, feet, arms, legs, and buttocks. This condition is usually a sign of poorly controlled diabetes or high triglyceride levels. The bumps disappear with improved glucose control.
Next is a very common condition seen in people suffering from diabetes or insulin resistance known as acrochordons or skin tags. They look like growths that hang from a stalk and are usually seen on the eyelids, neck, armpit, and groin. Now, not everyone who has skin tags has diabetes, but some studies show that as many as three out of four patients presenting with skin tags also have diabetes.
Another skin condition I want to discuss is called digital sclerosis, and it presents as tight, thick, waxy skin on the back of your hands. This may cause your finger joints to become stiff and difficult to move, and some report a feeling of having pebbles in their fingertips. The skin thickening can also happen around your knees, ankles, and elbows. The treatment for this usually involves improved glucose control and, at times, physical therapy.
If you see any of these changes in your skin, be sure to talk to your doctor to make sure you don’t have diabetes or pre-diabetes or early insulin resistance. Early diagnosis and treatment are key in preventing future complications.
I hope this was helpful, and I’ll see you in the next one.
