Do you have just a touch of diabetes?

Many patients were diagnosed in the past with what is called borderline diabetes. Basically this would mean that their blood glucose levels weren’t really high. Before 1997, doctors would not diagnose diabetes unless the fasting blood glucose was greater than 140 mg/dl.

The criteria for being diagnosed with diabetes today is a little different, and a new term ‘pre-diabetes’ has been added.

Are you diabetic?

Some people are under the assumption that you can have a touch of diabetes, somewhat like you have a cold. In actuality, this is not possible. Either you are diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Pre-diabetes is diagnosed in patients that have a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl. At the pre-diabetes level, a patient has a chance of preventing the onset of diabetes by making diet and exercise changes.

Full-blown diabetes is diagnosed in patients that have a fasting blood glucose level greater than 125 mg/dl. Once you have diabetes, you can only manage and control it through medication, diet and exercise.

There are two different tests that a health care provider does to determine if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic. These tests are called the Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes.

FPG test: Results-fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.

OGTT test: Your blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, you are diagnosed with has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, you are diagnosed with diabetes.

Recommended by the American Diabetes Association, the FPG test is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform.

For more info on diabetes an recent news, visit http://www.diabeticadvisory.com