What could be causing frequent urination in a 24-year-old male?

Hello doctor,

I have found this service to be incredibly helpful, and I have received some bloodwork back that I would like to better understand.

I am a 24-year-old male, 6 feet tall, weighing 188 pounds, and I began experiencing frequent urination about three months ago. Although I do not have a family history of it, I became concerned about the possibility of diabetes due to the symptoms. During that same time frame, I was also the most stressed I have ever been. It was my final exam, and I decided to get married during all of that. As a result, I was more sedentary than usual and also eating a diet that mainly consisted of frozen pizzas and takeout. As someone who has always been fairly lean and lifts weights four to five days per week, I perhaps stupidly thought I could eat whatever I wanted. With these new test results, which I will enumerate below. I would first like to know if it is possible to develop insulin resistance in the liver even at a healthy, lean body weight, and second, I would like to know the steps I need to take now to reverse it.

1. Blood test result of last month: FBG (fasting blood glucose) of 102 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) and A1C of 5.4 percent.
2. New blood test: FBG of 95 mg/dL and A1C of 5.6 percent.
3. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level: 102 mg/dL, slightly elevated.
4. LDL level: 110 mg/dL, more elevated.

My latest blood test also has slightly abnormal BUN (blood urea nitrogen) or creatinine levels, so I would appreciate any insights on that, although I have been drinking too many protein shakes lately, so I wonder if that has acutely affected it. So my two primary questions are the following:

1. First, is it possible that stress and my poor diet resulted in high cholesterol, which then increased insulin resistance, which has now had a blood sugar effect?
2. And my second question is, what steps can I take moving forward?

The diet advice I can find online seems a bit contradictory since most places say low-fat protein and complex carbs are good for cholesterol, but diets for insulin resistance say to eat mostly fats and proteins, but no carbs. I really appreciate any clarification on that.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

For my own understanding of the causal factors here, does a plausible chain of events look like my bad diet and lack of exercise led to poor cholesterol, reflected in the elevated LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and that in turn began to cause some insulin resistance issues that have driven the blood sugar levels and symptoms reflected in the frequent urination and higher-than-healthy HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin) levels?

I primarily ask because I would like to know if targeting the LDL levels with dietary changes and more exercise will, as a result, lead to a mitigation of the urinary and blood sugar-related symptoms.

I would certainly like to continue to eat carbs (healthy ones, of course) and reduce my fat intake to improve cholesterol, rather than cut out carbs to target the blood sugar issues.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

More vegetables, more fiber, and leaner proteins are in order and well overdue. Along with getting back to a more active regimen that includes not just weights but also cardio exercise.

To provide a more direct inquiry: Taken together, and not considering causation or any sort of dependent relationships, does my LDL, along with the A1C and FBG, which are both technically normal but on the higher end, suggest a mild form of insulin resistance? I noticed that my C-peptide result was on the lower end of normal as well.

I have had several urinalyses done that have not detected anything in the urine, so the frequency and urgency of it has become quite a hindrance to my daily life. I understand if you would prefer not to speculate, but can you provide any other potential causes behind that frequent urination when taken with my test results? You have been very clear on the nutrition discussion above, and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the reply.

At the time of my blood glucose test, I had been fasting for 12 hours. So both my glucose and C Peptide numbers were in a fasted state. Does that add anything to your consideration? Regarding waking up at night, I have consistently been waking up once per night, but sometimes twice. The supplements angle is one I have considered. In the past few months, I have experimented with all sorts of herbs, vitamins, and minerals in an attempt to better deal with stress from school and work. I have been thinking it best to stop taking them all to see if that has any effect