Prediabetes or Diabetes
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 51 percent of Americans over 65 and 37 percent of persons over 20 in the country show symptoms of prediabetes. This shows that 86 million people in the US have prediabetes when extrapolated to the entire population. Additionally, it is predicted that by 2035, there will be 471 million cases of diabetes worldwide, with 29 million cases in the United States. High blood sugar levels make diabetes risk even higher.
Type 2 diabetes risk factors include both hereditary and behavioral variables, but it is unclear to what extent the two factors interact to increase the risk. This research sought to investigate the combined relationships between genetic risk and diet and type 2 diabetes incidence https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003972
According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes affects 29.1 million Americans (9.3 percent of the population), and 86 million of them have insulin-resistant pre-diabetes (18.8 percent). Type II diabetes, also referred to as degenerative diabetes, accounts for the great majority of cases. According to research, degenerative diabetes is an inflammatory condition that can be totally avoided and reversed by leading an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
The three methods for determining diabetes diagnosis:
1. HbA1C (hemoglobin A1C) is a measurement of Hb or red blood cells used to determine the average plasma glucose concentration for a period of more than three months. Plasma glucose and red blood cells interact, causing a glycation event that fuses them together. The best way to manage diabetes is to achieve HbA1C levels below 6.5 because as blood sugar levels rise, so does the fraction of glycated hemoglobin. Additionally, diabetes mellitus is clinically diagnosed when the HbA1C level is above 6.5. It is regarded as pre-diabetic between 5.7 and 6.5.
2. A fasting blood sugar level under 100 mg/dl is considered normal and healthy, however, most doctors want to see a blood sugar level as low as 90 mg/dl. The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) is performed by fasting for 12 hours and then monitoring morning blood sugar levels. Pre-diabetes is defined as a range between 100 and 126 mg/dl, and diabetes as anything higher than 126 mg/dl.
3. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): While most functional medicine experts prefer OGTT levels to be under 120 mg/dl, typical values should be under 140 mg/dl. Pre-diabetic ranges fall between 140 and 200 mg/dl, while diabetes ranges fall between 200 mg/dl and higher.
Why would anybody want to check their blood sugar levels? Who would like to do that?
Your blood sugar should be between 75 and 85 after a meal since it gives you a plethora of information about how your body is metabolizing food, which meals are healthier for you, and which foods you should avoid. Additionally, it is best to make a log of every meal you had before rechecking your blood sugar to observe how it has changed.
When to check your blood sugar levels:
Usually after meals, thus if your meal takes 10 minutes, you must wait 15 minutes. You should try it right away if your meal is larger. Better check your blood sugar every 15-20 minutes during the first hour to discover the best time to do so. The peak often occurs after 45 minutes before beginning to decline.
Consequently, it wouldn't even exceed 100 in a healthy person. The symphony that your pancreas plays with Glucagon-insulin keeps your blood sugar in a tight, limited range, so even if you sat down and consumed a meal with a lot of sugar, your blood sugar won't rise above 100 to 110. However, keep in mind that blood glucose levels beyond 110 are still considered borderline for diabetics according to functional medicine, and damage to peripheral nerves may result when they reach 120 or higher.
When blood sugar levels are much above 140, two common health effects include diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy. If someone has a blood sugar level that is consistently higher than 120, the problem gets worse with time.
RESOURCES:
https://www.nature.com/nrneurol/
2022. NP. Malika Katrouche. All Rights Reserved.
