Evaluation and Diagnoses of Diabetes Mellitus

Diagnosing type 1 diabetes (T1DM)

• Doctors usually diagnose T1DM based on a combination of factors, including:
  • Symptoms of high blood sugar, such as increased thirst, urination, and hunger
  • Elevated blood sugar levels (fasting glucose over 126 mg/dL, random glucose over 200 mg/dL, or hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) over 6.5%)
  • The presence of antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and insulin

Diagnosing type 2 diabetes (T2DM)

• Doctors can use a variety of tests to diagnose T2DM, including:
  • Fasting glucose test: This test measures blood sugar levels after not eating for at least 8 hours.
  • Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) test: This test measures average blood sugar levels over the past 2-3 months.
  • Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): This test measures blood sugar levels before and after drinking a sugary drink.

Diagnosing gestational diabetes

• All pregnant women are screened for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. The most common screening test is the 1-hour glucose challenge test. If blood sugar levels are high on this test, the woman will have a 3-hour OGTT to confirm a diagnosis.

Managing chronic diabetes

• People with diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly to manage their condition. This can be done at home using a blood glucose meter.
• People with diabetes also need to have regular checkups with their doctor to monitor their HbA1c levels, urine albumin levels, serum lipid levels, and thyroid status.

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How is diabetes diagnosed?

• Doctors can diagnose diabetes by doing a blood test to measure your blood sugar levels.
• If your blood sugar levels are high, your doctor may do other tests to confirm the diagnosis and determine what type of diabetes you have.
• People with diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar levels regularly and have regular checkups with their doctor to manage their condition.

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