Laboratory Tests for diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus are Inexpensive &
Easily Available
Diabetes Mellitus can exist in individuals with very few signs and symptoms. It is a chronic disease that may not manifest in a manner that will make life itself very difficult, until some the complications set in. However, these complications are very difficult to manage and virtually impossible to reverse. Thus, it is essential that diagnosis be achieved in time. Given the high frequency of Diabetes in modern societies, regular monitoring of blood sugar from time to time is advisable for everyone.
Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease where the primary abnormality lies in the inability of the body to metabolise glucose in a manner that would not be detrimental to health. Rising sugar levels lead to passage of glucose in urine, while prolonged levels of high glucose can leave certain chemical markers that can possibly be detected by laboratory tests. These also mark the basic diagnostic tools for diagnosis and confirmation of Diabetes Mellitus in an individual.
Some of these tests can be easily carried out by the individuals at home or anywhere else with easy to carry kits.
Tests for Confirming
Diabetes Mellitus
The diagnosis of
Diabetes Mellitus depends primarily upon the rise of glucose in blood and its
presence in urine.
Urine glucose
(Urine sugar) test
Presence of
glucose (or sugar) in urine is diagnostic of Diabetes Mellitus. Literally, the
word Diabetes Mellitus means ‘sweet urine’ or ‘sugar in urine’. If glucose is
identified in urine, it can be considered highly suggestive of Diabetes. Yet, urine testing is not a confirmatory
test, because of many different reasons. In particular, one needs to understand
that a negative test or the absence of glucose in urine does not necessarily
rule out Diabetes Mellitus. The reason for this is that kidneys begin to
excrete glucose only beyond a particular level of glucose in blood, which is
around 180 mg/dl and if the blood glucose level is lesser than that, glucose
may not be detected in urine.
Blood Glucose
Tests
Glucose is a
substance normally present in blood. After taking food, its level rises and as
time goes by, it falls back to fasting levels. In the normal body, the fine
balance between Insulin and glucose ensures that blood glucose level remains
with a certain range. In a Diabetic person, this balance is seriously disturbed
leading to a higher fasting level, as well as higher levels after intake of
glucose or foods like carbohydrates, which produce glucose on digestion. There
is some difference in the criteria or cut-off levels used for diagnosis of
Diabetes Mellitus. Most physicians tend to follow the criteria adopted by WHO in
2006.
Random Blood
Glucose
A blood glucose test, done randomly,
without any reference to food or fasting prior to the test is of considerably
lesser value in diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus. However, if the blood glucose is
over 200 mg/dl or 11.1 mmol/L, it suggests Diabetes.
Fasting Blood Glucose
A fasting blood
glucose level, with no food for at least eight hours preceding the test, should
be below 100 mg/dl or 5.9 mmol/L in
a normal person. If this is above 126 mg/dl or 7.0 mmol/L, it is a sure sign of
Diabetes Mellitus. A value that falls in between suggests an intermediary
state, often referred to as Prediabetes or Impaired Glucose Tolerance.
Two Hour Glucose Tolerance Test
In this test, a
sample of blood is taken for deriving fasting blood glucose level, followed by
a specified amount of glucose given orally, and another blood sample taken
after two hours to observe the blood glucose tolerance of the body. A value of
less than 126 mg/dl or 7.0 mmol/L suggests a fully normal state, while a level
of more than 200 mg/dl or 11.1 mmol/L is generally diagnostic of Diabetes
Mellitus. A value that falls in between suggests an intermediary state, often
referred to as Prediabetes or Impaired Glucose Tolerance.
To diagnose
Diabetes, there should be two different confirmatory tests done on two
different days, and both of them must be positive.
Glycosylated Hemoglobin or the Hb A1c
test
The Hemoglobin A1c test provides an
overview of the mean level of glucose in blood during the last 3 months
preceding the test. It is more important in monitoring the level of blood
glucose control, as a measure for deciding whether more stringent treatment is
required.
What to do if Your Tests are Neither Normal nor Suggesting Diabetes?
As one can observe, there is a gap between normal and Diabetic blood glucose levels. These are considered cases of ‘Prediabetes’, which are sooner or later likely to develop fully blown up Diabetes Mellitus. Most such cases can be treated with weight loss, dietary modification, regular exercise and other lifestyle measures. Some of them may require small doses of oral hypoglycaemic medicines. Having an impaired blood glucose test is a warming that one needs to adopt a healthier life style, preferably under expert guidance, to prevent the onset of full blown Diabetes Mellitus. It also means that one needs to keep monitoring her Blood Glucose level regularly for the rest of one’s life.
No comments:
Post a Comment