Many people may not realize that out-of-control blood sugar is no longer an exclusive problem for the elderly; it is also closing in on young people.
The latest 2025 research from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the prevalence of diabetes among men aged 20-24 has skyrocketed from 1.99% to 7.42%, and the incidence rate among groups under 40 has surged threefold. The international medical community has set the age of 35 as the warning line for blood sugar management, and this is by no means an alarmist statement – it is both a response to the younger trend and a health warning based on scientific evidence.
In other words, the real golden period for sugar control actually occurs at an age when you think it’s still early. By the time symptoms appear, it’s often too late to remedy the situation.
So why is this specific age the right time to start managing our blood sugar in advance?
Why Is It Recommended to Start Controlling Sugar at 35?
Both the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and China’s latest Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes in China (2024 Edition) have lowered the recommended age for initial blood sugar screening from 40 to 35. This change is not arbitrary; it is based on two solid physiological principles:
1. A Cliff-like Decline in Metabolic Function
After the age of 30, our muscle mass decreases by 1% each year – and muscles are the body’s “little helpers” for digesting glucose. As muscle mass declines, the body’s ability to process blood sugar gradually weakens. By the age of 35, the aging rate of the “small factories” (β-cells) in the pancreas responsible for secreting insulin accelerates, leading to reduced and less efficient insulin secretion, making blood sugar more likely to rise.
More importantly, high blood sugar around the age of 35 can leave a “bad memory” – even if blood sugar is later brought under control, the vascular damage caused by previous high blood sugar will continue to progress silently (this is what doctors call the “metabolic memory effect”).
2. Cumulative Risks of Modern Lifestyle
Most people in this age group face work pressure, prolonged sedentary behavior, insufficient sleep, and frequent consumption of high-sugar, high-calorie foods. These factors can cause the body to become “insensitive” to insulin (known as “insulin resistance”) – essentially, insulin, the “blood sugar transporter,” cannot effectively remove excess blood sugar from the bloodstream.
Studies have found that if blood sugar issues are left unaddressed after 35, an additional 5% to 10% of people will progress from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes each year. However, early attention and intervention can reduce this risk by more than half (51%).
The National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention of China explicitly states that individuals with any of the following characteristics need to start controlling sugar early, even if they are under 35:
- Body size-related: BMI ≥24kg/m² (overweight) or ≥28kg/m² (obese); waist circumference ≥90cm for men or ≥85cm for women (central obesity) [BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters].
- Genetic and medical history-related: First-degree relatives (e.g., parents, siblings) with diabetes; history of prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 5.6-6.9mmol/L); history of gestational diabetes or delivery of a macrosomic infant (≥4kg).
- Lifestyle-related: Weekly physical activity <150 minutes (lack of exercise); prolonged sedentary time (≥8 hours per day); frequent intake of sugary beverages and ultra-processed foods.
- Complication-related: Hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥140mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90mmHg); dyslipidemia (triglycerides >2.22mmol/L); history of atherosclerosis.
- Special conditions: Long-term use of steroids or antipsychotics; polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); presence of acanthosis nigricans (hyperpigmentation in the neck or armpits).
Why Should You Start Controlling Sugar Early? Beyond Preventing Diabetes, There Are These Benefits
1. Protect Pancreatic β-cell Function
When diabetes first develops, the body’s “core factories” (pancreatic β-cells) responsible for insulin secretion and blood sugar regulation are not yet completely damaged. Strict sugar control at this stage is like “reducing the burden” on these factories – they no longer have to overwork to secrete insulin, allowing them to recover gradually, slow down aging and decline, and lay a solid foundation for future blood sugar management.
For example, when some people are newly diagnosed with diabetes, doctors may recommend “short-term insulin therapy to help control blood sugar” (known as “intensive insulin therapy”). This allows β-cells to rest fully, and many individuals can even achieve “diabetes remission,” where blood sugar remains stable without medication.
2. Reduce the Risk of Complications
- Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: High blood sugar is like soaking blood vessels in sugar water; over time, the vessel walls are gradually eroded, becoming narrow and stiff (a condition called “atherosclerosis”). A 2025 study in the British Medical Journal pointed out that starting sugar control before the age of 35 reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life by 20% – including a 25% lower risk of myocardial infarction and a 31% lower risk of stroke.
- Microvascular complications: Early strict sugar control reduces the risk of retinopathy, slows the progression of diabetic nephropathy, and decreases the incidence of uremia.
- Neuropathy: Controlling blood sugar helps protect nerve function and reduces complications such as limb numbness and pain.
3. Early Sugar Control Builds a “Good Foundation”: Improving the Metabolic Memory Effect
Doctors have found that keeping blood sugar well-controlled in the early stages leaves a “good memory” in the body – even if blood sugar fluctuates occasionally later, the solid foundation established early on continues to help reduce the risk of complications. Conversely, if blood sugar is neglected in the early stages, it is difficult to completely reverse the negative impacts later, equivalent to “one wrong step makes every subsequent step harder.”
4. “Save Money”: Lower Medical Costs
The monthly cost of diabetes medications is not trivial, and diabetes complications are even more costly. Early sugar control reduces the likelihood of developing complications, thus avoiding expensive treatments such as dialysis and surgery later in life.
Simple and Practical Sugar Control Tips
1. Smart Diet Matching
Each meal should follow the ratio of “1 fist of staple food + 2 fists of vegetables + 1 palm of protein,” and be eaten in the order of vegetables → protein → staple food. Reduce refined staple foods: for example, replace 1 bowl of white rice with half a bowl of white rice mixed with half a bowl of whole grains like brown rice, oats, or corn. Choose low-GI (glycemic index) foods and avoid sugary drinks and desserts as much as possible.
2. Fragmented Exercise
Many people use “being busy” as an excuse to avoid exercise, but just as we use our phones in short bursts, exercise can also be fragmented. For instance, get off one stop earlier and walk briskly for 10 minutes to the office (and do the same on the way home), accumulating 20 minutes of brisk walking daily. You can also do spot runs, jumps, or lift dumbbells while watching TV. At the very least, doing housework or exercising with your children after meals is better than lying down.
3. Snack Replacement
Replace cakes and biscuits with unsalted nuts, sugar-free yogurt, and fresh fruits. Keep individually packaged snacks in the office to avoid resorting to high-sugar options in emergencies.
