My Healthy Dad Was Diagnosed With Diabetes. Am I Next?

[View in Browser]( [Men's Health]( [SHOP]( [MVP EXCLUSIVES]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Alternate text] [One Man's Fight Against His Diabetes Destiny]( [One Man's Fight Against His Diabetes Destiny]( [It was about eight years ago when my dad, John Zaleski, first noticed something was off. I’ve always thought of him as someone with an infinite reserve of energy, the sort of stamina that allowed him to work his white-collar job and fix something in the house once he clocked out. This feeling he developed, as he recounted to me this past summer, was different: He felt shaky and fatigued for no obvious reasons. Weariness seemed to attack him out of nowhere. It was a true puzzle—one he started trying to solve when he bought a glucometer, a small device that measures glucose levels. It’s the kind of thing he does, searching for answers to things, even in unlikely places. The morning after he picked up the device, he checked his glucose and saw the reading at 218. For perspective, a fasting glucose level of 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood is considered the threshold for diabetes. The number shocked him. Dad is a lean guy, a trim 150 pounds at five-foot-seven. He regularly exercises (pushups, situps, miles and miles clocked on his Concept2 rowing machine) and works as a volunteer critical-care paramedic with the local fire company and health system in addition to his corporate gig at a large health-care company…where he uses a standing desk. After registering his own fasting glucose, he quickly scheduled an appointment with his primary-care doctor, who ordered blood tests that confirmed the diagnosis: type 2 diabetes. “I was stunned,” says Dad, who recently turned 60. “I then realized that what I was feeling made sense, but I had no idea that it was diabetes.”]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [REI Has a Bunch of Early Hoka Sales Ahead of Black Friday]( [REI Has a Bunch of Early Hoka Sales Ahead of Black Friday]( [Don't wait until Black Friday to jump on this Bondi 8 deal.]( [READ MORE]( [How Tempo Run Workouts Can Make You Faster]( [How Tempo Run Workouts Can Make You Faster]( [You won't become a better runner by just staying at the same pace. Here's how to ramp up your training.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [The Best Electric Razor I've Tested Is $96 Off Ahead of Black Friday]( [The Best Electric Razor I've Tested Is $96 Off Ahead of Black Friday]( [The Braun Series 9 Pro can cut through stubble in seconds.]( [READ MORE]( [Okra Water Is Now a Thing, Apparently]( [Okra Water Is Now a Thing, Apparently]( [Lemon water, cucumber water, and now ... this.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [Alternate text] [Bomber Jackets That Will Totally Elevate Your Style]( [Bomber Jackets That Will Totally Elevate Your Style]( [The timeless wardrobe essential comes in a variety of colors and fabrics to suit any man's style vibe.]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [The Definitive Marvel TV Show Ranking]( [The Definitive Marvel TV Show Ranking]( [Where does 'Agatha All Along' land? Spoiler alert: very high.]( [READ MORE]( The Best of Men's Health [Your Most Pressing Sex and Relationships Questions, Answered]( [Your Most Pressing Sex and Relationships Questions, Answered]( [READ MORE]( [The Ultimate Training Plan for a Stronger, Healthier Penis]( [The Ultimate Training Plan for a Stronger, Healthier Penis]( [READ MORE]( [READ MORE]( [READ MORE]( [Alternate text] [ESQ Fragrance]( [LiveIntent Logo]( [AdChoices Logo]( Follow Us [Visit Men's Health on Facebook]( [Visit Men's Health on X formerly Twitter]( [Visit Men's Health on Instagram]( [Visit Men's Health on YouTube]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice]( | [CA Notice at Collection]( Men's Health is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2024 Hearst Magazines, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779