Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus now affecting more and more adults in the urban areas. Rural areas too are now catching up, due to rapid changes in lifestyle and dietary practices.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus causes damage to various vital organs such as eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, brain and our feet.

These organs are involved if the individual fails to control his diabetes well.

The damage occurs due to the involvement of the blood vessels to these organs.

However these complications can be prevented by identifying diabetes early and controlling it with appropriate diet, exercise and medication.

How does one find out if he or she is diabetic.

If a close family member is diabetic, the chances of developing diabetes is high.

Especially if your parents on a sibling are diabetic. Any other relative such as uncles or aunts being diabetic also causes a risk of developing diabetes.

Such people need to screen their age at least once a year after the age of 35 or earlier if they are obese.
The simplest test is a fasting plasma glucose and post prandial glucose.

An oral glucose tolerance test may be done if the blood sugars appear borderline.

Recent guidelines to diagnosed diabetes with a HbA _{1 C test, which gives the average glucose value over the last 3 months has been laid down.
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An individual may be classified as pre-diabetic or diabetic.}

An individual who is pre-diabetic can reverse his status and delay the onset of diabetes. One diagnosed as a diabetic need to take his condition seriously and consult a doctor for proper monitoring and treatment.