Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to produce or respond to insulin, leading to high levels of glucose in the blood. Glucose tolerance tests and hemoglobin A1C tests are used to diagnose and monitor diabetes, which can be managed with diet, exercise, and medication.
When people eat regular table sugar, called sucrose, the body digests it into fructose and glucose. Glucose is a simple sugar that the body uses to provide energy for cells. The body normally protects itself from the harmful effects of high glucose levels by neutralizing glucose it doesn’t need. Insulin is the main substance used to keep blood glucose levels from getting too high, but people who have diabetes may have resistance to the effects of insulin or may not produce any insulin at all. This is how diabetes and glucose are related.
There are two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the sufferer produces no insulin at all. People who have type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their bodies don’t respond to it the way a healthy body would. In both types, the relationship between diabetes and glucose is direct. Untreated diabetes causes blood sugar to rise to unhealthy levels.
Diabetes and glucose levels can be controlled with diet, exercise, or medications. The mode of control depends on the severity and type of disease. People who have type 1 diabetes must always take insulin because their bodies simply don’t make it. Controlling type 2 diabetes may never involve the use of insulin treatment if the patient complies with prescribed medications and lifestyle modification.
There is a direct correlation between diabetes and glucose tolerance. Glucose tolerance is sometimes tested as part of the diabetes diagnosis process. The patient drinks a solution of sugar and water immediately after testing the blood sugar level. Blood sugar is tested two to three hours after drinking the solution. A blood sugar level between 99 and 199 could indicate prediabetes, and levels of 200 and above require a clear diagnosis of diabetes.
Another test for diabetes involves checking the blood glucose level after the patient has been fasting for at least eight hours. If the level is high enough to be suspicious, your doctor may do the same test on another day to confirm the diagnosis. Additional tests and medical history help determine the type of diabetes, which in turn will determine the course of treatment.
Hemoglobin A1C is a test that indicates the average blood glucose levels over the three months prior to taking the test. Most practitioners use hemoglobin A1C to determine how well current treatment is working to keep diabetes and glucose under control. Patients need to have this test several times a year to be sure that the prescribed treatment is still working.
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