Diabetes: we monitor more than just glucose!

Everyone perceives diabetes mellitus as a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, in which it is necessary to control the level of glucose in the blood. However, this is not the only parameter that needs to be monitored!

In diabetes mellitus, the hormone insulin is poorly produced (type 1 diabetes) or is not accepted by cells (type 2 diabetes). Insulin is the main hormone that regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Due to it, glucose from the blood is absorbed by the cells of adipose tissue, liver and skeletal muscles. If there is not enough insulin, or the cells do not perceive it (insulin resistance), lipid (fat) metabolism is also disrupted.

This is where diseases such as atherosclerosis begin, leading to heart attacks and strokes. Plus diabetic angiopathy - multiple damage to small and large vessels of the arms, legs, eyes, brain, kidneys, heart.

Therefore, in case of diabetes and prediabetes, it is important to monitor the so-called blood lipid profile.

What to watch?

A set of laboratory tests, Lipid profile, basic, will help you timely detect changes in fat metabolism that are dangerous for blood vessels. The test is necessary not only for diabetics. Anyone who has a predisposition to cardiovascular diseases (for example, excess weight around the waist, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis in parents), as well as those who eat poorly, smoke, should regularly check their vascular health using this test. It includes the following indicators.

Total cholesterol is the substance from which cell membranes, many hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids are formed. Basically, it does not come from the outside, but is synthesized in the liver. If there is more cholesterol in the blood than the body can use, it begins to be deposited on the walls of blood vessels.

Low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Lipoproteins are transport molecules that carry cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is what is colloquially referred to as “bad cholesterol.” It has been proven that the more there are, the higher the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. During treatment they must be reduced.

Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) is an even more dangerous type of “bad cholesterol.” It enhances the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. It should also be as small as possible. At this point they also look at the amount of triglycerides in the blood. The body also needs these fats, but they mainly need to be found inside cells. If there are too many of them in the blood, the risk of vascular and heart diseases is again increased.

Sugar for three months

In order to accurately understand whether a person has diabetes or not, a simple blood sugar test is not always enough. This test only shows the blood glucose level at the time of the test. A one-time analysis can be influenced by many factors: a person had a fried potato dinner the night before or, conversely, fasted for almost a day. Meanwhile, accurate data is especially important if there is concern that a person is developing type 2 diabetes (in which cells lose sensitivity to insulin). It develops gradually, and with one-time tests the onset of the disease can be missed.

The Glycated Hemoglobin A1c test will check the content of hemoglobin in the blood, irreversibly combined with glucose molecules. This is the so-called glycated hemoglobin or glycohemoglobin. In diabetes mellitus, its amount increases.

What's good about the test? In fact, with one analysis you will get three months of monitoring. The fact is that the lifespan of erythrocytes (red blood cells), which contain hemoglobin, is 3-4 months. Accordingly, the test data shows whether during this period there was so much glucose in the blood that it combined with hemoglobin above normal.

Patients with diabetes need to monitor this indicator every 3 months. People without diabetes of any age benefit from having their sugar levels, lipid profiles, and glycohemoglobin checked annually. It is especially important to do laboratory tests if you are overweight, have high blood pressure, exercise little, or have a close family member with diabetes.

Keep your diabetes under control with laboratory tests!

How to diagnose anemia in diabetes mellitus

The main indicator of anemia is low hemoglobin in the blood. To determine it, it is enough to carry out a general analysis. But to select a method of treating anemia in diabetics, additional diagnostic tests are performed. Platelets, iron levels, leukocytes, and red blood cells are examined.

Platelets decrease in iron deficiency anemia and liver disease. The destruction of red blood cells and inflammatory processes increase their content.

To determine hidden blood loss, a stool test is performed. To exclude inflammation and tumors of the digestive system, blood is examined for C-reactive protein.

Self-monitoring of sugar levels

Patients suffering from diabetes need to self-monitor their blood sugar levels. With its help, you can determine normal, high or reduced levels of glucose in the blood, understand whether the dose of insulin administered was sufficient, and whether it is worth reducing or increasing the amount of medication.

Self-monitoring at home can be done using a special device for determining the amount of sugar in the blood - a glucometer.

To carry out self-analysis at home, use a glucometer - a device for determining glucose levels. A doctor or pharmacy consultant will help you choose a model. Using the device is quite simple.

Rules for self-measuring sugar:

The device should be stored in accordance with the instructions, avoiding chemical and mechanical damage;
during blood sampling, it is recommended to thoroughly treat the area with an antiseptic;
depending on the device, the skin is punctured independently or automatically;
a drop of blood is applied to a special indicator strip;
data is usually ready in 5–15 seconds.

The frequency of analysis is determined by the attending physician, depending on the type of diabetes and the characteristics of the patient’s general well-being. The recommended number of measurements per day for type I diabetes is 3–4 times, for type II diabetes – 2 times a day.

Important! Self-monitoring of blood sugar levels must be carried out during pregnancy, during travel, physical activity, before bed and during main meals.

How is the analysis carried out?

The main advantage of the HbA1c analysis is the lack of preparation and the ability to perform it at any time of the day. A special research technique allows you to obtain reliable results despite taking antibiotics, food, the presence of colds and other provoking factors.

An analysis to determine blood glucose levels is carried out in a hospital or at home using a portable glucometer

To take the test, you must come to the hospital at the appointed time for blood sampling. To obtain accurate data, it is still recommended to skip the morning meal. Results are usually ready in 1-2 days.

Important! When prescribing an analysis, the doctor should be informed about the presence of pathologies of the pancreas, taking vitamin supplements, and the presence of anemia. These conditions may affect the accuracy of the test.

Signs of low hemoglobin levels

A reduced number of red blood cells in the blood is called anemia. This syndrome is characterized by all the symptoms that can appear with a general weakening of the body:

Problems with concentration. Losing concentration occasionally is normal for the body. But if you cannot read several pages without being distracted by any irritating factor, this is a reason to consult a doctor.
Dyspnea. Periodic short-term oxygen starvation is normal. But walking a couple of steps and starting to noisily swallow air, and so on several times a day, is a reason to be wary and visit the clinic.
Drowsiness. Sleeping for several days in a row in a normal mode, for eight hours, and at the same time feeling tired and overwhelmed is an alarm bell.
Regular respiratory diseases. Frequent colds or seasonal acute respiratory infections indicate low hemoglobin.
Brittle, fragile nails indicate not only a lack of calcium in the body, it is also a syndrome of low hemoglobin content.

Diet to increase hemoglobin

Diabetes mellitus requires special dietary nutrition, and dietary dishes for diabetics. You can raise your hemoglobin level using this sample menu:

Breakfast: oatmeal with water and steamed prunes, apple juice.

Second breakfast: bread with bran, Adyghe cheese, blackcurrant compote with xylitol.

Lunch: lentil and carrot soup, chicken liver, lettuce, tomato juice.

Dinner: boiled squid salad with herbs, buckwheat porridge, rosehip infusion.

Folk remedies for increasing hemoglobin Herbalists and traditional healers know how to increase hemoglobin in natural ways:

Take a teaspoon of pollen in the morning.
Prepare an infusion of nettle and yarrow. Take a teaspoon of each herb and pour boiling water over it. Leave for 25 minutes and drink a third of a glass twice a day.
Instead of tea, brew fireweed leaf.
Drink half a glass of raw potato juice before meals. Only freshly prepared ones are used.
Infusion of meadow clover. Ten flower heads per 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for an hour. Drink 30 ml 4 times a day.
Mix equal parts of rosehip and rowan. Pour a tablespoon of the crushed mixture with boiling water (250 ml) in a thermos overnight. In the morning before breakfast, drink half a glass.
Eat half a pomegranate every day.
Sprout wheat, grind and take a tablespoon or add to porridge.

Reasons for exceeding the norm

An increase in normal values indicates the development of hyperglycemia. This condition in a person does not always indicate the presence of diabetes mellitus. We are talking about pancreatic disease if HbA1c levels exceed 7%. Numbers from 6.1 to 7 more often indicate impaired tolerance to carbohydrates and a decrease in fasting glucose metabolism.

It is extremely important to monitor glycated hemoglobin levels in women and children. If indicators are not monitored, serious consequences may occur, such as miscarriage, delayed fetal development, and deterioration in the condition of the woman herself.

Common causes of decreased glycated hemoglobin

Glycated hemoglobin is the result of a reaction between amino acids and sugar in the body. Doctors say that testing for this type of hemoglobin has become the most important when diagnosing hidden diabetes. It will show the amount of sugar in the blood over a certain period and how correctly the hydrocarbon metabolism process is proceeding. And if the level of glycated hemoglobin is elevated, this means that the sugar level in the body is not normal. This analysis is rather preventive in nature, since with its help it is possible to identify the early development of diabetes and prevent its further development.

It’s not just diabetes that can lead to a low level of glycated hemoglobin. Lack of regular physical activity, sedentary work, vitamin deficiency, cardiovascular diseases, leukemia, age and stress. These factors can become catalysts for the development of diabetes. To avoid elevated levels of glycated hemoglobin, you need to obtain individual prescriptions from your doctor. The doctor may prescribe special insulin injections, certain types of exercise, and also help normalize sleep phases.

The level of this type of hemoglobin can be not only increased, but also decreased. In this case, the body does not receive the full range of nutrients, which is why a person regularly experiences fatigue, dizziness, and various types of pain. It is very simple to neutralize the negative effect of this diabetes; just eat something containing sugar.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Like other types of diagnostics, the analysis of glycosylated hemoglobin has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include:

can be carried out at any time of the day, even after meals;
obtaining more accurate information with which diabetes can be detected at an early stage;
quick implementation without special preparation;
the ability to assess how well the patient independently monitors blood glucose levels;
The results of the study are not influenced by factors such as nervous tension, colds, diet disorders, medications, etc.

Disadvantages of the study include the higher cost of analysis. It can not be carried out in all laboratories. Some factors may affect the accuracy of the results, for example, hormonal imbalance, consumption of large quantities of foods with vitamins E and C, the presence of anemia and hemoglobinopathy in patients.

Treatment of anemia in diabetics

If anemia of renal origin is confirmed, then hemoglobin can be quickly increased only with erythropoietin. The drug is used under medical supervision and administered intravenously or subcutaneously. Constant blood monitoring is required. During treatment, a deficiency of iron and vitamins develops, therefore, along with medications, a special diet is indicated.

To treat anemia with low iron levels, it is used in combination with vitamins or as a stand-alone drug. The most common medications are iron preparations (Ferroplex, Totema, Actiferrin, Ferrum Lek, Sorbifer Durules, Ferrum Lek, Tardiferon).

Vitamin complexes with a high iron content - Vitrum, Centrum from A to Zn, AlfaVit Classic, Complivit Iron.

With diseases of the stomach or a vegetarian diet, a lack of vitamin B 12, which is involved in hematopoiesis, develops. In such cases, it is prescribed to take it in tablets or intramuscular injections of cyanocobalamin.

Lack of folic acid and protein usually does not require significant drug correction and is easily eliminated with a proper diet.