The Importance of Regular Diabetes Check

Diabetes is a prevalent disease that negatively impacts the body's glucose levels and, in turn, organs. That is why routine diabetes checks are strongly recommended by medical professionals across multiple specialties. They can not only detect diabetes but also if you are on the fast track to developing the condition.

Diabetes check: Why it is necessary and the impact of the disease

How diabetes impacts the body

Diabetes impacts the body in more ways than one. Most know that diabetes is a condition in which there is too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. While it is normal to have sugar in the blood, it is always at normal levels. If it is too low, a patient can slip into a diabetic coma. If it is too high, a patient can receive significant damage to their organs, nerves, and blood vessels. In turn, leading to a heart attack, stroke, and problems with the eyes, teeth, gums, and feet.

A person without diabetes has no issues regulating their blood glucose levels, no matter what they eat or drink. Moreover, there are multiple types of diabetes:

• Prediabetes. Often known as the stage before type two, as the glucose levels are higher than normal.
• Type one. Characterized as an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
• Type two. The body is not creating enough insulin, or the body does not respond well to insulin.
• Type 3c. When the pancreas receives damage that prohibits it from producing insulin.
• Gestational. Develops during pregnancy and usually goes away after giving birth.
• Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). Results from the immune system attacking and destroying insulin-producing cells but develops much slower than type one.
• Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). Also called monogenic diabetes, this form is a result of a genetic mutation that affects how the body produces and uses insulin.
• Neonatal. A rare form of MODY and develops in babies by the time they are six months old.
• Brittle. A form of type one that is characterized by drastic spikes of high and low glucose levels, often leading to hospitalization.

The prevalence of diabetes

Statistics from the American Diabetes Association, or ADA, website state that 38.4 million, or 11.6 percent of the American population, were living with diabetes in 2021 alone. Of that 38.4 million, 2 million were type one diabetics, including 304,000 children and teens. They also went further, stating only 29.7 million were diagnosed, and 8.7 million were undiagnosed. With diabetes being totally or partly responsible for 399,401 deaths in 2021 and 1.2 million people being diagnosed every year, undergoing regular diabetes checks is crucial for everyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and lifestyle.

What to expect during a diabetes checkup

A diabetes check is relatively simple. The doctor will likely ask the patient to fast eight to twelve hours before their appointment—specified at the time of scheduling. During the diabetes check, the doctor will take a few samples of the patient's blood to test the sugar levels. Essentially, normal blood sugar levels will return a number below 140 mg/dl; anything over this number is considered alarming and may require further investigation to determine the type of diabetes present and a treatment plan.

Schedule a diabetes checkup

Diabetes is not a condition you can tackle alone. In fact, more medical interventions are necessary to reverse or manage it than it is to avoid it altogether. That is why Millennium Medical Care offers diabetes checks to everyone in and around the Fairfax area. Whether you have been noticing symptoms or have never received a diabetes check, contact our office to schedule an appointment to ensure you are free from the disease.

Request an appointment here: https://millenniummedicalcare.com or call Millennium Medical Care at (703) 372-4429 for an appointment in our Fairfax office.

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