"Elevated levels of a group of five amino acids may predict the development of diabetes https years before any noticeable symptoms occur according to a new study. Researchers found that blood https tests that screened for these amino acids accurately predicted risk of type  diabetes httpsdiabetes.webmd.comguidediabetes_symptoms_types in otherwise healthy adults as well as in those with traditional risk factors such as obesity https These findings could provide insight into metabolic pathways that are altered very early in the process leading to diabetes https says researcher Thomas Wang MD of Massachusetts General Hospitals Cardiovascular Research Center in a news release. They also raise the possibility that in selected individuals these measurements could identify those at highest risk of developing diabetes so that early preventive measures could be instituted. Researchers say metabolic abnormalities that eventually lead to type  diabetes https can be present years before diabetes is diagnosed. For example insulin resistance https where the body does not use insulin https effectively occurs long before blood https sugars reach the level seen in type  diabetes https Predicting Diabetes The study published in Nature Medicine followed  healthy adults with normal blood sugars at the start of the study for  years. During this period  developed type  diabetes. Researchers compared blood samples taken at the beginning of the study in  participants who developed diabetes and  similarly matched participants who did not. Specifically they screened for levels of  various metabolites small molecules released into the bloodstream by metabolic activities. The results showed that elevated levels of five amino acids isoleucine leucine valine tyrosine and phenylalanine https were associated with the development of type  diabetes. Researchers found that measuring combinations of these five amino acids rather than a single amino acid was a more accurate predictor of future diabetes risk. In addition in people closely matched for traditional risk factors for type  diabetes such as obesity https or insulin resistance those with the highest levels of the three most predictive amino acids  isoleucine phenylalanine and tyrosine  had a five to seven times higher risk of developing type  diabetes than those with the lowest levels. Researchers say several of these amino acids have also been associated with the development of diabetes in previous studies but further studies in larger numbers of people will be needed to confirm these results."