Could you imagine tasting someone's urine? "Are you crazy " ? would be a likely response. Well, did you know that the ancient Greeks and Romans tested for diabetes by drinking the urine of their countrymen? Somehow the Romans discovered that the urine of certain people was mellitus, the latin word for sweet. The Greeks on the other hand, noticed that when people with sweet urine drank, the fluids came rushing out almost as quick as the person drank the fluid. This action imitated a siphon. Ironically, the Greek word for siphon is diabetes. Presto! we have the origins of the modern name for the disease diabetes millitus.
Diabetes doesn't just land on an unsuspecting person. For probably ten years or more a person may be going along without any noticeable changes in health, but inwardly there are a lot of subtle changes going on. This stage of diabetes is called prediabetes. Prediabetes has a lot in common with insulin resistance syndrome, also known as the metabolic syndrome.
Would you believe that at least 54 million in the united states are walking without a clue that they are prediabetic? That being the case, it would be a good idea if people over the age of 45 get tested for prediabetes. Individuals under the age of 45 should get tested if they are overweight and fall into one or more of these categories:
A study in the journal Diabetes Care in November 2007 highlighted that testing for prediabetes in overweight people over 45 is highly cost effective if they undergo lifestyle modification or take certain medicines.
Testing for diabetes usually involves finding out your blood glucose level, the level of sugar in your blood. The prediabetic condition exists in a person when the body's blood sugar or glucose level is greater than normal, but not high enough to meet the normal definition of diabetes mellitus. Atypical test is done by measuring a random capillary blood glucose. If the level is greater than 100m/dl, a fasting plasma glucose or oral glucose tolerance test is performed.
Having the courage to go through a diabetic screening could be one of the best things a person who is found to have diabetes can do. Why? Well, it could be the wake up call that he or she needs. The discovery may motivate the person to take crucial steps towards lifestyle changes, especailly diet and exercise. And for those who don't respond to lifestyle changes, medication may be an alternative.
Diabetes doesn't just land on an unsuspecting person. For probably ten years or more a person may be going along without any noticeable changes in health, but inwardly there are a lot of subtle changes going on. This stage of diabetes is called prediabetes. Prediabetes has a lot in common with insulin resistance syndrome, also known as the metabolic syndrome.
Would you believe that at least 54 million in the united states are walking without a clue that they are prediabetic? That being the case, it would be a good idea if people over the age of 45 get tested for prediabetes. Individuals under the age of 45 should get tested if they are overweight and fall into one or more of these categories:
- A family history of diabetes
- Diabetes during pregnancy
- High triglycerides
- Low HDL or "good" cholesterol
- A high-risk ethnic group: African American, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American
- High blood pressure
A study in the journal Diabetes Care in November 2007 highlighted that testing for prediabetes in overweight people over 45 is highly cost effective if they undergo lifestyle modification or take certain medicines.
Testing for diabetes usually involves finding out your blood glucose level, the level of sugar in your blood. The prediabetic condition exists in a person when the body's blood sugar or glucose level is greater than normal, but not high enough to meet the normal definition of diabetes mellitus. Atypical test is done by measuring a random capillary blood glucose. If the level is greater than 100m/dl, a fasting plasma glucose or oral glucose tolerance test is performed.
Having the courage to go through a diabetic screening could be one of the best things a person who is found to have diabetes can do. Why? Well, it could be the wake up call that he or she needs. The discovery may motivate the person to take crucial steps towards lifestyle changes, especailly diet and exercise. And for those who don't respond to lifestyle changes, medication may be an alternative.
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