How to test for diabetes?

Written by Lin Xiang Dong
Endocrinology
Updated on September 05, 2024
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The examination for diabetes primarily involves assessment based on symptoms and measuring blood glucose levels through a venous sample. Typical clinical symptoms of diabetes include "three more and one less"; where "three more" refers to dry mouth, increased thirst, and frequent urination, and "one less" refers to weight loss. Thus, generally, when these symptoms are observed, there is an awareness of the possibility of diabetes. Subsequently, one should consult a hospital for further tests, which usually include urine testing and venous blood extraction. For diabetic patients, the glucose level in routine urine tests will significantly increase. Another measure is the direct measurement of blood glucose through venous blood. A fasting blood glucose level of ≥7.0 mmol/L, or a two-hour glucose level of ≥11.1 mmol/L post-OGTT, or a random blood glucose level of ≥11.1 mmol/L, meeting any one of these conditions, combined with the symptoms of diabetes, can diagnose the disease.

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Is there a difference between gestational diabetes and regular diabetes?

Gestational diabetes and common diabetes, although both types of diabetes, have significant differences between them. First, gestational diabetes is a disease specifically occurring during pregnancy and often only appears during the gestational period. After pregnancy, the majority of women will revert to a normal blood sugar state, so the main focus for gestational diabetes is on screening and intervention during pregnancy; Second, common diabetes is a chronic disease that accompanies an individual throughout their life, requiring long-term management of blood sugar through various methods. Therefore, the main difference between the two lies in the duration of the disease. Pregnant women with common diabetes, if they become pregnant, are referred to as having diabetes compounded by pregnancy, which also requires strict blood sugar management, but its mechanism of occurrence and principles of treatment differ from those of gestational diabetes.

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Written by Wang Shuai
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Is frequent urination diabetes?

If the urine output exceeds 2500 mL in 24 hours, this condition is called polyuria. There are many causes of polyuria; diabetes is just one of them. Additionally, physiological causes are also seen, such as eating a large amount of fruits that have a diuretic effect, like watermelon, or drinking a lot of water previously. This is referred to as physiological polyuria and does not require special treatment. Pathological causes, apart from diabetes, also include diabetes insipidus or electrolyte disturbances. For instance, long-term hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, or increased aldosterone can all lead to polyuria. It is advisable to promptly visit the urology department of a hospital for tests such as blood glucose levels, routine urine tests, and endocrine examinations to understand the causes of polyuria, and to determine whether it is caused by diabetes.

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Written by Luo Han Ying
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Diabetes dietary taboo fruits

Many patients have a misconception after being diagnosed with diabetes; they think that fruits are sweet and they should avoid all fruits. This statement is half right—fruits are indeed sweet, but not all fruits are off-limits. Diabetes patients can still consume fruits, provided that they pay attention to the quantity and type of fruit they eat. First, let’s discuss the fruits that should not be eaten by diabetic patients, which are those high in simple sugars. Consuming these fruits can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. Examples include dates, whether dry or fresh, longans, whether dry or fresh, lychees, whether dry or fresh, and bananas, which all have very high sugar content. These fruits are not recommended for diabetic patients; on the other hand, fruits like kiwis, cherries, kumquats, and grapefruits are generally suggested as suitable for diabetic patients.

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Written by Zhang Yin Xing
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Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

The symptoms of gestational diabetes differ from those of non-pregnancy diabetes; non-pregnancy diabetes is mainly characterized by excessive drinking, eating, urination, and weight loss. During pregnancy, excessive drinking and eating may be physiological responses due to increased appetite, and frequent urination may be caused by the enlarged uterus pressing on the bladder during early pregnancy. Weight loss is generally not apparent in gestational diabetes due to the growth of the fetus, the uterus, and the increase in amniotic fluid. For women who had a higher body mass index before pregnancy and a family history of diabetes, it is recommended to start glucose tolerance screening from the time of planning to conceive. For those who gain weight rapidly after becoming pregnant and have a significant increase in amniotic fluid, we typically conduct routine diabetes screening between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes has severe impacts on the pregnant woman, the fetus, and the newborn, thus early detection and treatment are advised.

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Gestational diabetes range

Gestational diabetes refers to abnormal blood sugar levels occurring during pregnancy. This term is used if the diagnosis is made during pregnancy, and does not include patients who were already diabetic before pregnancy, who are referred to as having diabetes concurrent with pregnancy. The criteria for diagnosing gestational diabetes are based on the results of the OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) conducted between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. According to the OGTT results, a fasting blood sugar level ≥ 5.1 mmol/L, a one-hour blood sugar level ≥ 10.0 mmol/L, or a two-hour blood sugar level ≥8.5 mmol/L, meeting any one of these criteria confirms a diagnosis of gestational diabetes.