It’s Best to Stay Away from Comprehensive Diabetes Tests

Diabetes is a chronic disease where your body doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use insulin effectively. When either of this happens, there is excess sugar in the bloodstream leading to debilitating consequences. So, how do we know whether or not we have diabetes? There are a couple of symptoms which indicate the presence of diabetes:

• Tiredness
• Loss of weight without making any efforts
• Dry skin
• Sores or wounds take time to heal
• Hunger
• Feeling very thirsty
• Urinating frequently

 
Most individuals are aware of the disease, its consequences, symptoms, and risk factors. So, when anyone experiencing any of these symptoms visits the doctor for diagnosis, the very first thing the physician asks for is a blood sugar test to confirm the disease. There are a number of tests prescribed by authentic diabetes institutions and physicians to confirm the presence of diabetes. Those include:
 
HbA1c test: A blood test, this is used to find out the blood glucose levels over a 3-month average. Also known as the haemoglobin test or glycosylated haemoglobin. The results show the amount of blood glucose levels present in the haemoglobin—the higher the blood sugar levels, the greater percentage of haemoglobin that’s present with sugar. Measured as a percent, any number above 6.5% confirms diabetes. A measure below 5.7% is normal and numbers between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates pre-diabetes. You can eat or drink anything before or after taking this test.
 
Fasting blood sugar test: As the name suggests, readings for the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test are taken in the morning after having fasted for 8 hours at least. Any number below 99 mg/dL is normal, values between 100 and 125 mg/dL suggests prediabetes, and any number above 126 mg/dL confirms diabetes.
 
Random Blood Sugar Test: Once again, as the name suggests, a blood sample is collected at any time of the day randomly without having to fast. A value of 200 mg/dL and above suggests diabetes.
 
Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT): This is quite a strenuous test as you would have to fast overnight (at least for 8 hours), take a fasting blood sugar sample and then consume a glucose-containing liquid at intervals of one, two, and three hours respectively. After two hours, a blood sugar levels below 140 mg/dL is normal, a reading between 140 and 199 mg/dL is indicative of pre-diabetes and any reading that shows 200 mg/dL or above confirms diabetes.
 
Do We Really Need Comprehensive Testing Procedures?
 
In a clinical setup, performing any of the above tests has been the norm for detecting, confirming, and following up on diabetes since a long time. But now, with the advent of the ‘diabetes reversal’ terminology and numerous websites fighting against each other to lure clients for remission/reversal programs, each of them come with various plans, technologies, and terminologies for treatment.
 
There are some companies that incorporate continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) even for those type 2 diabetes patients who are not on insulin nor have type 1 diabetes. Some companies take a test every quarter as a part of their routine check up and this is normal. But it doesn’t stop with the test and the patients are provided with a personal glucometer,  a number of strips (50, 100 or more), and a lancet to track blood glucose levels often. Above all this, there are a few of them who go one step ahead and do comprehensive testing using 70+ parameter blood and urine check up during the onboarding process for any of their programs.
 
It’s surprising that someone could use numerous parameters and get the same blood sugar test which is possible with a couple of parameters. They boast of having a macro-level understanding by including nuances in their blood measurements. But reputed diabetes associations worldwide have clearly not supported the use of CGM, accu-chek, or micro-measurements when the person does not use insulin for type 2 diabetes, is not a type 1 diabetes, or when the physician hasn’t recommended for CGM. Even research studies aren’t supporting CGM or comprehensive testing use for dealing with diabetes. Even if we keep these things aside, it is obvious that all that we need are fasting blood sugar, PP, GTT, and HbA1C readings for confirming diabetes and following up on the patient regularly.
 
Anything else is simply unnecessary. Mind you, it is a different game altogether for people suffering from type 1 diabetes or having complications with type 2 diabetes. That’s something entirely different to be dealt with. But, if you are a type 2 diabetes or pre diabetes patient whose doctor hasn’t suggested for any add-on monitoring devices to the body or every day blood glucose tests, please stay away from such routines which add nothing but more stress and anxiety to your already stress-struck self. Be calm, stay strong, and get in touch with a registered dietitian nutritionist to plan a healthy diet, monitor your lifestyle regularly, and recommend doable exercises to stay fit. Take tests as recommended by the physician and put diabetes under control.