Carbohydrate Metabolism Test
A test to diagnose diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are chronically high. Persistent hyperglycemia damages blood vessel walls throughout the body, causing various complications. Typical complications include diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy, as well as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction due to arteriosclerosis. Diabetes is one of lifestyle-related diseases that is closely related to lifestyle habits such as overeating and lack of exercise. In addition, abnormalities in the kidney, liver, and endocrine system (hormones) may also result in high test values. At our regular health checkups, blood sugar, HbA1c, and urinary sugar are measured.
Blood sugar
It is the concentration of glucose in the blood. Because it is affected by food, it fluctuates before and after meals. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is the blood sugar level measured without eating for 10 hours or more. A fasting blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL or higher indicates diabetes. People with a fasting blood glucose level of 110 to 125 mg/dL, even if they are less than 126 mg/dL, are called borderline type, and may be in the so-called prediabetes group. Also, a fasting blood sugar level of 100-109 mg/dl is within the reference range, but some people with high blood sugar levels may include diabetes or borderline type, so caution is required. HbA1c testing and additional testing may be desirable.
HbA1c
It measures the percentage of hemoglobin that has changed due to the binding of glucose. It uses the property that the longer the blood sugar level is high, the more changes occur, and it is thought to reflect the average transition of blood sugar over the past 1-2 months.
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lab standard range |
Checkup evaluation |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
normal |
minor abnormality |
Re-examination / lifestyle improvement required. |
Detailed examination / |
||
A |
B |
C |
D | ||
FPG (mg/dL) |
70~109 |
FPG: 99 or less AND |
1)FPG: 100 - 109 2)FPG: 99 or less AND either 1) or 2) |
1)FPG: 110 - 125 2)HbA1c: 6.0 - 6.4 3)FPG: 126 or more AND HbA1c: 6.4 or less 4)FPG: 125 or less AND HbA1c: 6.5 or more either of 1)~4)
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FPG: 126 or more AND HbA1c: 6.5 or more |
HbA1c (%) not measured in students checkups |
4.6 ~ 6.2 |
Sugar in urine
Sugar in the blood is reabsorbed along with water in the process of being filtered from the blood in the kidneys, but when the blood sugar increases abnormally and exceeds the limit (renal threshold), urinary sugar is detected. In general, when the blood sugar level exceeds 160 to 180 mg/dL, sugar appears in the urine. It can also be detected immediately after eating.
Negative (-)…Normal
Quasi-positive (±) or positive (+)… Diabetes may be present
Reference:
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare website
Diabetes | MedlinePlus (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health)