Causes of High Blood Sugar in Thin People

The causes of high blood glucose in thin individuals need to be analyzed from multiple dimensions, including metabolic mechanisms, disease factors, and individual differences. First, insulin resistance is not exclusive to obese individuals; some thin people may experience reduced efficiency in glucose utilization due to genetic factors or decreased insulin sensitivity in tissues such as skeletal muscle and liver, leading to high blood glucose even with a slim body type.

Secondly, dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells is a core cause. Whether it is autoimmune damage in type 1 diabetes or insufficient beta cell compensation in type 2 diabetes, it can lead to an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin secretion, causing imbalance in blood glucose regulation. Some thin individuals may experience gradual beta cell dysfunction due to long-term unnoticed glucotoxicity, before significant changes in body weight occur due to metabolic disturbances.

In addition, specific types of diabetes and endocrine disorders, such as hyperthyroidism and Cushing's syndrome, can also cause elevated blood glucose in thin individuals. In hyperthyroidism, thyroid hormones accelerate glycogen breakdown, while in Cushing's syndrome, glucocorticoids antagonize insulin action, both of which can cause abnormal blood glucose levels, with weight loss commonly presenting as a concurrent symptom. Medications or stress conditions, such as infections or surgery, can also induce temporary increases in blood glucose.

Weight loss or a slim body type should not rule out glucose metabolism abnormalities. If symptoms such as polyuria, thirst, or fatigue appear, or elevated blood glucose is detected during a medical checkup, timely diagnostic tests such as oral glucose tolerance test and insulin release test should be conducted to identify the underlying cause, avoiding delays in diagnosis and treatment due to the misconception that thin individuals are less likely to develop diabetes.