Monitoring Diabetes by the Numbers
Once youve been diagnosed with diabetes numbers seem to take over your life. From the type of diabetes you have, type 1 or type 2, to your blood glucose results, to your A1C, numbers surround you and they mean something, but what exactly do all these numbers mean?
The first number you will likely hear is the type of diabetes you are diagnosed with. Type 1 diabetes means that your body does not produce insulin on its own. This is very serious as the body needs insulin (a hormone) in order to convert the sugar (glucose) found in food into the energy needed for daily life.
Type 2 diabetes, which used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, occurs as the body either does not produce enough insulin or the cells are unable to use the insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone which is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy.
The next numbers you are likely to encounter are your fasting blood glucose results. The current medical standards state you are diabetic if your fasting blood glucose measures over 126. This is usually validated by two separate tests.
If the fasting blood glucose results are between 110 and 126, you have impaired glucose tolerance and are on your way to developing diabetes.
Since diabetes is not a disease that switches on and off however, you are not safe if you get a reading of 125. There are some doctors who believe that fasting blood glucose results consistently in the 90s indicate an early level of insulin resistance. So it is a good idea to look to some lifestyle changes at this point.
The next number your doctor will refer to is your glycated hemoglobin, HbA1C, also referred to as A1C. This test is important as it gives a good indication of your blood glucose levels over the last 3 months, and can help you to determine if your treatment plan is effective or needs to be modified.
Finally, you will want to learn about the GI (glycemic index) values of the foods you eat. GI is measured from zero to one hundred. The higher the number, the more quickly glucose moves into your bloodstream. As a diabetic, it is a good idea to keep to the lower GI numbers. For example, white bread has a higher GI (71) than whole grain bread (50).