According to recent statistics provided by the American Diabetes Association, approximately 30.3 million Americans or 9.4% of the population had diabetes. Of the 30.3 million adults with diabetes, 23.1 million were diagnosed, and 7.2 million were undiagnosed.
Diabetes is a fairly common condition where a person has elevated levels of blood glucose.
Type 1 diabetics are typically diagnosed with acute symptoms that require hospitalization but other types of diabetics including prediabetics, gestational diabetics and early Type 2 diabetics are usually asymptomatic (i.e., show no symptoms). Because Type 1 diabetes can run in families, it is also important for at risk individuals to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. With Type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin properly which causes glucose levels to rise. Experts recommend routine testing for Type 2 diabetes if you,
- are age 45 or older
- are between the ages of 19 and 44, are overweight or obese, and have one or more other diabetes risk factors
- are a woman who had gestational diabetes
Your physician may request blood tests to diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. The blood tests show if your blood glucose or blood sugar, is too high. At Medizyne, we offer several diabetes panels and tests to assist in this evaluation with your doctor.