Diabetes Testing

Diabetes is a condition in which you have the inability to produce or utilize insulin.  It is typically due to a combination of hereditary and environmental influences, resulting in abnormally high blood glucose levels. It is estimated that more than 18 million people in the United States have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. It is also estimated that 28% of these people have not yet been diagnosed.  Early and routine monitoring of your glucose level through blood testing is critical to preventing or managing this potentially debilitating disease. Below is a list of possible diabetic symptoms. 

•Blurred vision
•Slow healing cuts
•Unusual thirst
•Unexplained tiredness
•Numbness or tingling in hand or feet
•Frequent urination
•Rapid weight loss

If you are experiencing more than one of these symptoms you may want to check your blood sugar levels through a blood test.  The National Institute of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases says that the Hemoglobin A1C lab test measures your average blood glucose level over the last 2 to 3 months. It shows whether your blood glucose stayed close to your target range most of the time, or was too high or too low.  Chronic increased glucose levels causes long term damage to blood vessels, nerves, and organs throughout the body and can lead to other conditions such as renal failure, loss of vision, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

About 90% of diabetes cases in the United States are Type 2 diabetes. It generally occurs later in life, in those who are obese, sedentary, and over 45 years of age.  Other factors include:

 
•Family history of diabetes and pre-diabetes
•Ethnicity: African –American, Hispanic American, Native American, Asian-American, Pacific Islander
•Gestational diabetes during pregnancy or baby weighing more than 9 pounds at birth
•High blood pressure
•High triglycerides, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL

Blood glucose is an essential measure of your health. Don’t be one of the 7.0 million people that are undiagnosed.