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Does a blood ketone test reflect the body’s current ketone status more accurately and in real-time than a urine ketone test?
1. Two Methods of Measuring Ketones There are two main ways to measure ketones to assess the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA): urine tests and blood tests. Both are useful, but they differ in terms of accuracy and real-time reflection. 2. Urine Ketone Test – Principle: When ketones increase in the blood, they are excreted…
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Is the ‘glucagon stimulation test’ a test that evaluates remaining pancreatic insulin secretion capacity by injecting glucagon and measuring the C-peptide response?
1. Why Evaluate the Pancreas’s Insulin Secretion Capacity? When planning treatment for a person with diabetes, knowing how much ability their pancreas has left to produce its own insulin is crucial. This is key information for differentiating between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, or for determining when a patient with Type 2 diabetes needs…
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Does the ‘fructosamine test’ reflect a longer period of average blood sugar (4-6 months) than the Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test?
1. Another Average Blood Glucose Indicator: Fructosamine Fructosamine, like hemoglobin A1c, is a type of ‘glycated protein’ formed when glucose in the blood binds to proteins. While HbA1c is glucose bound to ‘hemoglobin’ in red blood cells, fructosamine is primarily glucose bound to ‘albumin,’ the most abundant protein in blood serum. 2. The Difference in…
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Can a ‘diabetes educator’ prescribe medicine and decide the treatment plan instead of a doctor?
1. The Team Approach to Diabetes Management Successful diabetes management is difficult to achieve with the efforts of just one doctor. The best results are obtained when a team, including a doctor, nurse, dietitian, and ‘diabetes educator,’ works collaboratively with the patient at the center. Each professional performs a different, important role. 2. The Role…
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Is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) a device that allows you to check real-time blood sugar trends without finger pricks?
1. What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)? A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a device that measures the glucose concentration in the ‘interstitial fluid,’ the fluid between cells, via a small sensor inserted just under the skin in the subcutaneous fat layer. The glucose level in this fluid is very closely correlated with the…
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Are people with diabetes more prone to dry skin, itching, and skin infections than the general population due to poor circulation and high blood sugar?
1. Diabetes and the Skin: A Close Relationship The skin is our body’s largest organ and acts as a mirror reflecting our overall health. High blood sugar and poor circulation due to diabetes can cause various skin problems. In fact, many people with diabetes experience dry skin or itching in the early stages, and sometimes…
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Do all types of insulin injections have the same onset and duration of action?
1. Various Insulins for Personalized Treatment Just as everyone’s lifestyle and eating patterns are different, so are their blood sugar patterns. For effective blood sugar control, various types of insulin have been developed based on their time of action and are prescribed according to the patient’s condition. They can be broadly divided into bolus (mealtime)…
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Is the habit of eating a lot of sugar, by itself, the direct cause of Type 2 diabetes?
1. Sugar and Diabetes: A Direct Cause? ‘Eating a lot of sugar causes diabetes’ is one of the most widespread myths. While it is an undeniable fact that sugar intake is closely related to diabetes, sugar itself does not directly attack the pancreas to cause the disease. The relationship is a bit more complex. 2.…
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Is the general post-meal 2-hour blood sugar target for most people with diabetes below 180 mg/dL?
1. Why is Post-Meal Blood Sugar Management Important? In the past, managing fasting blood sugar was considered more important, but recently, the importance of ‘post-meal blood sugar’ management in preventing long-term complications has been emphasized. This is because ‘blood sugar spikes,’ where blood sugar rises sharply after a meal and then falls, cause oxidative stress…
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If blood sugar is not well controlled, does the risk of gum disease (periodontitis) increase, and conversely, can gum disease make blood sugar control more difficult?
1. The Two-Way Relationship Between Diabetes and Gum Disease Diabetes and gum disease (periodontitis) have a very close ‘two-way relationship’ where each condition can worsen the other. People with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease, and severe gum disease can make blood sugar harder to control. For this reason, gum disease is sometimes called…
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