Glucose tolerance curve

Poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles that characterizes today’s lifestyle are the main responsible for the high incidence of overweight, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes that is affecting the world population.

Overweight and obesity bring many health problems, but a major cause harmful effects in the body is that it can make our cells are losing the sensitivity to capture the signals of insulin to metabolize food (glucose) eat, ie the cells become resistant to insulin and glucose levels in the blood (glycemia) tend to increase.

Not taken the necessary steps, over time the cells are becoming increasingly resistant to insulin and glucose levels in the blood (glucose) tend to rise more and more. If blood sugar levels tend to increase immediately the pancreas secrete more insulin also increase by the amount of insulin circulating in the bloodstream. When too much insulin in the blood is called hyperinsulinism or Hyperinsulinemia . If the situation worsens and the pancreas gradually loses the ability to maintain glucose levels within normal limits, there is a condition called prediabetes and the problem will persist type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a condition where blood sugar levels (fasting) are above normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

Fortunately, type 2 diabetes could be prevented at the stage where the cells are resistant to insulin but the levels of blood sugar (glucose) levels remain normal (70 – 110 mg / dl). At this point it is crucial that we know how resistant to insulin are our cells so we can act immediately, taking the necessary steps to prevent type 2 diabetes.

Measuring the sensitivity of your cells to insulin

If you suspect you may have insulin resitencia or risk factors, it is important to ask the doctor to perform a test called a glucose tolerance curve . This will tell us the degree of sensitivity to insulin signals with our cells and the risk we have to have insulin resistance, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

To prepare for this test the doctor will ask you to eat foods high in carbohydrates (at least 150 to 200 grams of carbohydrates daily) for 3 days prior to the test and also asked not to smoke, not drink alcohol and do not exercise for at least 8 hours before the test, to avoid affecting the results.

Advise your doctor about any medications you are taking. Maybe the doctor tells you suspend temporarily, as some medications may also affect the results of this test.

The day of the test, the doctor will perform a blood glucose test and then asked to take a glucose solution (drink containing 75g of glucose) and then perform a blood test 2 hours after drinking the beverage.

Examination of blood glucose (blood glucose) performed 2 hours after ingestion of glucose solution tells us how well our cells are responding to insulin to metabolize glucose we eat.

The glucose tolerance curve is shown as our risk

The glucose tolerance curve tell us how our cells are responding to glucose as well as our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In most cases, this test is done to pregnant women to ensure they do not have gestational diabetes. The different diagnoses were made according to the following results.

Normal glucose tolerance: It is considered that a person has a normal response of glucose to insulin when blood glucose levels every (blood glucose) were less than 200 mg / dl during the first 2 hours and the level of blood glucose levels 2 hours after ingestion of the glucose solution was less than 140 mg / dl ..

Abnormal Glucose Tolerance: It is considered that a person has an abnormal response of glucose to insulin, ie, glucose intolerant, when the fasting glucose level was greater than 100 mg / dl and less than 125 mgs.dl but the blood glucose level 2 hours after ingestion of glucose solution, was between 140 mg / dl. to 199 mg / dl .. In this case the person may have Resisitencia to insulin or Prediabetes and in either case, the diagnosis of Diabetes may still be prevented.

Diabetes: It is considered that a person has diabetes when your fasting blood glucose level is greater than 126 mg / dl and blood glucose level 2 hours after ingestion of glucose solution is greater than 200 mg / dl ..

Gestational Diabetes: A woman has gestational diabetes when blood glucose levels 1 hour after ingestion of glucose solution is 180 mg / dl or more, 155mg/dl or more 2 hours later and 140 mg / dl or more 3 hours of the solution taken.

Final Recommendations

Reducing risk factors and detect the problem before the onset of diabetes is a key factor for us to have a better quality of life., So it is important that we make the necessary changes in our lifestyle so that we can reduce our risk factors and perform a glucose test at least once a year and a glucose tolerance test if we suspect we are at high risk.

Be knowledgeable about risk factors for developing diabetes and exercise immediate action, taking steps to reduce or avoid, will help prevent the diagnosis of diabetes.

In Diabetes Day will find absolutely free, all the information you need so you can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes up so he can enjoy a healthier, productive and happy.

Leave a Reply