Although diabetes has been around for centuries, over the past few decades it has shown an exponential increase. Now it is a public health problem that affects both Mexico and the rest of the world. It is currently estimated that 463 million people suffer from it, although the real number could be much higher. That is why it is necessary to know the main tests to detect this condition that exist
In order for your patients to understand it clearly, you must explain to them that diabetes develops due to insufficiency or when insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, does not act properly so that blood sugar is transformed into energy.
When there is an excess of sugar in the blood, the person is considered to have diabetes and if there is not adequate control it can lead to serious complications and can even cause death. Among the main comorbidities caused by this condition are the following:
- Eye diseases
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Nerve damage
- Kidney diseases.
- Lower limb and foot problems.
Of the patients with diabetes, 80 percent have at least one comorbidity and 43 percent need to treat three or more complications. And relative to expenses, disease-related costs are projected to grow 11 percent through 2045.
What laboratory tests are there to detect diabetes?
Ideally, this disease can be identified from the beginning to begin with the most appropriate treatment for each patient. To achieve this, there are tests such as glucose, which is the best known and is carried out in any hospital or health center. Although the reality is that it is not the only one because there are also others and below we will mention the main ones.
Glucose
The glucose method is an in vitro diagnostic test for the quantitative determination of glucose in human serum, plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid.
Glycemic curve
The glucose tolerance test, also called the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), is a test that your doctor may order to help diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, or other disorders related to pancreatic cells.
Fructosamine
It is intended for the determination of fructosamine concentration in human serum or plasma. Fructosamine is a glycosylated protein and an indicator of blood glucose levels used to identify the glycemic status of diabetics.
HbA1c
The glycosylated hemoglobin test, also known as HbA1C or A1C, is the main one for detecting diabetes because it does not require fasting. Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues. The goal of managing diabetes is to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible.
Peptide-C
Peptide C is used to control insulin production and to help determine the cause of low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). C-peptide (PC) levels can be useful in classifying diabetes mellitus (DM).
Insulin
The insulin test is used to measure insulin levels in the blood. The test result can help diagnose insulinoma, which are endocrine tumors, as well as identify insulin resistance and elevated insulin levels, problems that can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes.