diabetes can have debili- tating, even life-threatening complications. with diabetes either have too little insulin. or cannot properly use the insulin they do …
What does it mean to have
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Diabetes mellitus, commonly called diabetes, is a lifelong disorder affecting nearly 16 million Americans About one third do not know they have diabetes and are not being treated by a physician for diabetes A serious disease, diabetes can have debilitating, even life-threatening complications But with good medical care and self-management, people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives To take proper care of yourself, its important to understand how the disease affects your body Diabetes affects the bodys use of sugar During digestion, the food we eat is normally broken down into simple sugars, primarily glucose Glucose is the main source of fuel used by the body for growth and energy; however, glucose cannot be used by the bodys cells unless insulin is present Insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas, helps glucose move into the bodys cells People with diabetes either have too little insulin or cannot properly use the insulin they do produce As a result, unused glucose builds up to dangerous levels in the body
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There are three main types of diabetes: In type 1 diabetes, the bodys diseasefighting immune system destroys the
pancreatic cells that produce insulin Thus, patients with this type of diabetes eventually depend on daily insulin therapy for survival Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood and occurs in only 5 to 10 of diabetic patients In type 2 diabetes, too little insulin is produced, or the body cannot respond to insulin properly Type 2 diabetes most often occurs in people over age 45 and is more common in those who are overweight and sedentary 90 to 95 of diabetic patients have type 2 diabetes Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnancy Usually the diabetes disappears after the baby is born; however, the woman remains at higher risk for developing diabetes in the future
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Symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually appear over a few weeks, and include thirst, frequent urination, hunger accompanied by unusual weight loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting In type 2 diabetes, symptoms develop more slowly and are usually less severe Commonly, thirst, frequent urination, and fatigue are present Other possible symptoms include repeated infections that heal slowly, blurred vision, tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet, and dry, itchy skin In the early stages of
diabetes, symptoms may not be present in some people Because the symptoms associated with diabetes can be caused by other conditions, only your doctor can determine whether or not you actually have diabetes
Diabetes is diagnosed based on the patients symptoms and the amount of glucose in the blood After talking to you about your symptoms and medical and family history, your doctor may draw a blood sample and send it to a laboratory for glucose testing High levels of glucose are required on two separate occasions before a diagnosis of diabetes is made
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If your doctor thinks you may be at high risk for diabetes, he/she may test your blood for high glucose levels even when you have no obvious symptoms of diabetes
Individual treatment plans differ depending on the type of diabetes, the patients age, school or work schedule, eating patterns, personality, and many other factors The goal of all treatment plans is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible Patients with type 1 diabetes require insulin therapy A treatment plan that includes a meal plan and an exercise plan is also provided Patients with type 2 diabetes can often be treated with diet, exercise, and
weight loss alone Oral glucose-lowering medications or insulin therapy are used when needed Your doctor may also call in other healthcare professionals to help you with a team approach to diabetes care: an ophthalmologist for eye care, a podiatrist for routine foot care, and a dietitian for help with meal plans These health care professionals, along with your primary doctor, can help you develop the diabetes treatment plan that works best for you
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Blood and urine testing and periodic physical exams are used to monitor diabetic patients The goals of monitoring are to: 1 Make sure blood glucose levels are staying normal or close to normal 2 Check for any complications 3 Determine if a cha 
nge in the treatment plan is necessary Many diabetic patients, particularly those on insulin therapy, perform self-monitoring by testing their blood glucose levels as frequently as three to four times daily Diabetic patients may also test their urine for the presence of ketones, toxic acids that build up when the glucose level is too high Self-monitoring helps the patient control his/her blood sugar level In addition to your own selfmonitoring, your doctor will also monitor blood glucose levels by
using tests that show your glucose control over time Hemoglobin A1C is a test that shows glucose control over the previous 4 to 8 weeks The American Diabetes Association recommends performance of this test two to four times a year Once each year, the doctor will also check for heart and
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kidney problems by testing the patients blood for fat cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides and the urine for proteins microalbumin
When diabetic patients get too much medication, miss a meal, or exercise too vigorously, blood glucose levels may fall below the normal levels resulting in hypoglycemia low sugar Symptoms of hypoglycemia include sweating, nervousness, shaking, and hunger This serious condition is reversed by eating or drinking something sweet If not reversed, confusion, loss of consciousness, or convulsions may occur The opposite condition is hyperglycemia or high blood sugar Hyperglycemia may occur when a patient eats too many sweets, gets sick, or does not get enough medication Symptoms of hyperglycemia include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, unconsciousness, or coma This serious condition may be reversed by taking medication and water and may be prevented by closely following
the meal plans Both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are life-threatening conditions when glucose levels are far from the normal level
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When blood glucose levels remain elevated over a long period of time, complications develop These complications may affect the heart, the kidneys, or the blood vessels Diabetes is the leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation of feet or legs Complications can be prevented or delayed by carefully monitoring and controlling blood glucose levels
You play a major role in diabetes management, and your commitment to taking control of your disease can make a tremendous difference in how well you live with diabetes A diabetic patient can maintain the best possible health by doing the following: Follow your physicians recommended treatment plan Work with your physician to develop a reasonable treatment plan one that you can follow and that will achieve treatment goals Follow the treatment plan carefully and consistently Stick to your recommended diet and monitor your blood glucose levels appropriately
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Exercise regularly Making exercise a daily part of your life can help you regulate your blood glucose levels as well as
lower your risk for cardiovascular complications Reduce stress Stress can affect your blood glucose levels, so its worth doing everything possible to minimize its effects Exercise will help, and you may want to add other stress-management techniques Visit your doctors regularly and ask to be monitored with physical exams and laboratory tests on blood and urine samples For example, hemoglobin A1C is the best way for both you and your doctor to judge how well you are succeeding at maintaining good diabetes control And, of course, promptly notify the doctor of any difficulties in maintaining acceptable glucose levels
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Quest Diagnostics offers the broadest range of laboratory tests for diabetic risk assessment, diagnosis, and monitoring Routine tests of all kinds are offered by Quest Diagnostics regional laboratories, and special tests are offered by Quest Diagnostics renowned Nichols Institute Known for the past 30 years as Nichols Institute specializes in new test development and in providing high-quality, specialized tests throughout the world After all, who better to perform these tests than the people who developed them?
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