What Makes Someone Diabetic

Being diabetic affects your blood sugar levels

To be classed as diabetic (suffering from diabetes mellitus), an individual must suffer regularly from hyperglycaemia.

How is regular hyperglycaemia determined?

This is usually demonstrated by the following measures, used to determine whether a person is diabetic:

• Fasting plasma glucose level equal to or greater than 126 mg/dL (7.0  mmol/l)
• Plasma glucose equal to or greater than 200 mg/dL or 11.1 mmol/l two  hours after a 75 g oral glucose load as in a glucose tolerance test.
• Random plasma glucose - 200 mg/dL or 11.1 mmol/l.

So a single test could make me diabetic?

Generally, physicians measure two fasting glucose tests; if both exceed the figure above a diabetes diagnosis is made.

What if your fasting plasma glucose is nearing 7.0mmol/l?

Those patients whose fasting levels are between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/l may be diagnosed with impaired fasting glucose, or IFG.

Those who have a level of 7.8 mmol/l may be diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, or IGT. Together, these conditions constitute pre-diabetes.

• Read more about pre-diabetes, diabetes and obesity, and tests for pre-diabetes.

How do Hba1c levels fit into diabetes diagnosis?

Hba1c is used to track blood glucose levels over a period of time, usually 90 days. The recommended goal is less than 7.0%. When diabetics keep their HbA1c below this level, they are likely to suffer fewer complications.