Diabetes - Diagnosis

Diabetes - Diagnosis

§  HbA1C (Average of blood glucose over 2-3 months):

 A sample of blood is taken from the patient, which is then analyzed to determine the HbA1C levels. The test needs to be performed in a laboratory with the appropriate certification and standardization. It can be taken anytime, irrespective of meals.

Diabetes is diagnosed at an A1C of greater than or equal to 6.5%. Provides an indication of long-term glycaemic exposure and is a very convenient measure of long-term glucose control that is familiar to healthcare professionals and some patients. More convenient (fasting is not necessary) but more expensive, which may limit availability in some parts of the world.

OBESITY: Indirect methods, based on the relation between height and weight, can be used in everyday clinical practice to estimate obesity. The most common and accepted, at least in adults, measures the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

People are considered obese when their BMI, a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's height in metres, exceeds 30 kg/m2.

§  Diabetes - Diagnosis

§  PRE-DIABETES (IMPAIRED GLUCOSE TOLERANCE and IMPAIRED FASTING GLUCOSE) : People with high blood glucose levels, but not as high as those in people with diabetes, are said to have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), they are pre-diabetes conditions. IGT is defined as high blood glucose levels after eating, whereas IFG is defined as high blood glucose after a fast. People with IGT have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Results indicating pre-diabetes are:

1.    An A1C of 5.7% - 6.4%

2.    Fasting blood glucose of 100 - 125 mg/dl

3.    An OGTT 2 hour blood glucose of 140 mg/dl - 199 mg/dl

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