Diabetes diagnosis

snubbleste

How is diabetes diagnosed?
What exactly is involved in a diabetes screening - does it differ between Type1 and Type2?

Crasp

It can be diagnosed by several methods, usually blood tests. They can do a screening test with a blood glucose monitor whre they prick your finger and take a drop of blood. This is not 100% accurate, but is fast and pretty accurate all the same. They can also use urine dipsticks to check a urine sample for something called ketones.

The other method involves taking a blood sample from a vein and sending that off to the lab (more accurate, but takes longer). They can check the blood glucose level and also something called the Haemoglobin A1c level.

Both of these must be interpreted in the setting of symptoms of diabetes: severe thirst, weight loss, peeing very often, abdominal pain and so on. A random blood glucose of 11.1mmol/L or more in addition to the symptoms of diabetes is diagnostic.

Type 1 and type 2 are diagnosed the same way initially, the differentiation between the two depends on the clinical setting.


Some info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus#Diagnosis

snubbleste

Thanks, that is very helpful.

gctest50

Bit of info in this :

"At least of half of people with diabetes are asymptomatic"

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/587211/222965.pdf

orla.mccormack

Type 1 and type 2 are very different, one can be reversed and the other can't.