Introduction:

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that is caused by inadequate production of insulin or inability of the body to utilize the insulin effectively which primarily turns food into energy. Across the Globe this is one of the most prevalent diseases among all age groups. Early diagnosis benefits and Importance of early medical treatment are the areas where most of the research is done. Benefits for early diagnosis are it allows timely intervention, reducing the risk of severe health issues such as heart disease, kidney failure, and vision loss. Regular checkups should be done for timely diagnosis as symptoms of type 2 diabetes may go unnoticed for years. Effective management through lifestyle changes and medication can significantly reduce the risk of complications. Moreover, early intervention has economic benefits as it reduces the costs treatment of complication of untreated diabetes. In summary early disease detection and timely medical intervention are vital for preventing complications, enhancing quality of life, and reducing healthcare costs.

Early Warning Signs of Diabetes:

Identifying the early warning signs of the diabetes help in early diagnosis and effective management of the diseases. Following are the signs you should look forward

• Increased thirst and dry mouth which is also known as polydipsia is due to high blood sugar levels pulling water from the cells
• Frequent Urination (Polyuria) especially during the nighttime is because the kidneys have work to expel excess levels of glucose out of the blood.
• Unexplained Weight Loss occurs even after eating normal or more because cells are not getting energy, so they burn fat and muscles for energy.
• Extreme Hunger (Polyphagia) happens because of body’s inability to utilize the glucose for energy or store glucose as glycogen.
• Fatigue and Weakness persistent tiredness due to low energy levels.
• Slow-Healing of Wounds due to impaired blood circulation and high glucose levels.
• Frequent Infections happens such as UTIs due to high glucose levels that support bacterial and fungal growth.

Who Should Undergo Testing for Diabetes?

All individuals with specific risk factors, symptoms, or conditions are recommended to undergo testing for the diabetes. According to World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the following group of people should undergo testing

• People with Symptoms of Diabetes
• Adults Aged 45 and Older
• Individuals with Overweight or Obesity
• People with a Family History of Diabetes
• Individuals with a Sedentary Lifestyle
• Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Individuals with Cardiovascular Risk Factors
• Individuals with Pre-diabetes
• Children and Adolescents
• Individuals with Certain Ethnic Backgrounds
• People with Other Medical Conditions

How to diagnose diabetes:

WHO diabetes diagnostic criteria 

World health organization has set a specific criterion for accurate diagnosis management of the diabetes which includes diagnostic tests for diabetes:

Common Diagnostic Tests:

A. Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) Test: Fasting is defined as no caloric intake for at least 08 hours prior to the test. And this test measures the blood glucose level after a fast. The diagnostic criteria include

• Normal: <100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L)
• Prediabetes: 100–125 mg/dL (5.6–6.9 mmol/L)
• Diabetes: ≥126 mg/dL (7.0 mmol/L)

B. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): This test measures the glucose level in the blood before and 2 hours after consuming a glucose rich drink. The diagnostic criterion for this test includes following after 02 hours of consuming glucose rich drink

• Normal: <140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
• Prediabetes: 140–199 mg/dL (7.8–11.0 mmol/L)
• Diabetes: ≥200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L)

C. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Test: This test measures the average blood glucose level of previous 2-3 months. The diagnostic criterion for this test is following:

• Normal: <5.7%
• Prediabetes: 5.7%–6.4%
• Diabetes: ≥6.5%

D. Random Plasma Glucose Test: This test measures the blood glucose levels at any time of the day without fasting and the individuals which have symptoms of diabetes along with random plasma glucose of ≥11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL) is suggestive of diabetes.

Diagnostic Criteria for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM):

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy when the body cannot effectively use insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. The following plasma glucose values are used to diagnose GDM:

• Fasting Plasma Glucose: 5.1–6.9 mmol/L (92–125 mg/dL)
• 1-Hour Post-Load Plasma Glucose: ≥10.0 mmol/L (180 mg/dL)
• 2-Hour Post-Load Plasma Glucose: 8.5–11.0 mmol/L (153–199 mg/dL)

These values are given it the latest WHO’s guidelines on classification of diabetes mellitus. It is important to remember that these values are measured from the venous plasma glucose measurements. Repeated testing on multiple days should be done to diagnose diabetes mellitus as sometimes there is unequivocal hyperglycemia with acute metabolic decompensation.

When to Test for diabetes?

According to World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) All these people with risk factors that are mentioned above should be tested every 03 years. And the people who had blood sugar levels in pre-diabetes range may require annual testing.