Next to the words “glycemic profile” one more word will necessarily be present - “diabetes”. This does not mean at all that if you are not sick, you do not need to read this article. The issue with the spread of diabetes around the world is more than serious, therefore awareness of the basic "diabetes" risks and factors is included in the package of knowledge necessary for a high quality of life.
The glycemic profile is not a roof, not a fence or analysis. This is a graph, more precisely - a curved line. Each point in it is the glucose level at certain hours of the day. The line has never been and never will be straight: glycemia is a capricious lady, with a changing mood, her behavior must not only be monitored, but also fixed.
Sweet blood and the diabetic epidemic
It is no exaggeration to say about the global diabetes epidemic. The situation is catastrophic: diabetes is getting younger and is becoming increasingly aggressive. This is especially true for type 2 diabetes, which is associated with defects in both nutrition and lifestyle in general.
Glucose is one of the main players in human metabolism. It is like the oil and gas sector in the national economy - the main and universal source of energy for all metabolic processes. The level and effective use of this “fuel” is controlled by insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. If the work of the pancreas is impaired (namely, this happens with diabetes), the results will be destructive: from heart attacks and strokes to loss of vision.
Glycemia or blood glucose is the main indicator of the presence or absence of diabetes. The literal translation of the word "glycemia" is "sweet blood." This is one of the most important controlled variables in the human body. But it will be a mistake to take blood for sugar once in the morning and calm down on this. One of the most objective studies is the glycemic profile - the "dynamic" technology for determining the level of glucose in the blood. Glycemia is a very variable indicator, and it depends primarily on nutrition.
How to take a glycemic profile?
If you act strictly according to the rules, you need to take blood eight times, from morning to night servings. The first fence - in the morning on an empty stomach, all subsequent - exactly 120 minutes after eating. Nightly portions of blood are taken at 12 a.m. and exactly three hours later. For those who are not sick with diabetes or do not receive insulin as a treatment, there is a short version of the glycemic profile test: the first fence in the morning after sleep + three servings after breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Blood is taken using a glucometer in compliance with the mandatory rules:
- Wash hands with fragrance-free soap.
- Do not treat the skin with alcohol at the injection site.
- No creams or lotions on your skin!
- Keep your hand warm, massage your finger before the injection.
Norm in analysis
If the limits of the sugar content in the blood of a healthy person are 3.3 - 6.0 mmol / l, then the profile indicators are considered normal with different numbers:
- With a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, the daily norm of the glycemic profile is 10.1 mmol / L.
- With a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, the morning glucose level is not higher than 5.9 mmol / L, and the daily level is not higher than 8.9 mmol / L.
Diabetes mellitus is diagnosed if fasting (after an 8-hour night fast) is equal to or higher than 7.0 mmol / L at least twice. If we are talking about glycemia after eating or a carbohydrate load, then in this case the critical level is equal to or greater than 11.0 mmol / L.
It is extremely important that the glycemic rate can vary depending on age and some other factors (for older people, for example, slightly higher rates are acceptable), therefore, the boundaries of the norm and pathology of the glycemic profile should be determined strictly individually only by an endocrinologist. You should not neglect this advice: the scales on the scales are too serious decisions about the tactics and dosage of diabetes treatment. Every tenth share in indicators can play a critical role in the further development of the “sugar” life of a person.
Sweet nuances
It is important to distinguish the glycemic profile from the so-called sugar curve (glucose tolerance test). The differences in these analyzes are fundamental. If blood is taken on a glycemic profile at certain intervals on an empty stomach and after routine meals, then the sugar curve captures the sugar content on an empty stomach and after a special "sweet" load. To do this, the patient after taking the first blood sample takes 75 grams of sugar (usually sweet tea).
Such analyzes are often referred to as skinny. They, along with the sugar curve, are the most significant in the diagnosis of diabetes. The glycemic profile is an extremely informative analysis for developing a treatment strategy, monitoring the dynamics of the disease at the stage when the diagnosis is already made.
Who needs verification and when?
It should be remembered that the analysis for GP is prescribed, as well as the interpretation of its results, only a doctor! This is done:
- With the initial form of glycemia, which is regulated by diet and without drugs, every month.
- If sugar is detected in the urine.
- When taking medications that regulate glycemia - every week.
- When taking insulin - a shortened version of the profile - every month.
- In type 1 diabetes, an individual sampling schedule based on the clinical and biochemical landscape of the disease.
- Pregnant in some cases (see below).
Pregnancy glycemia control
Pregnant women may develop a special type of diabetes - gestational. Most often, after birth, such diabetes disappears. But, unfortunately, there are more and more cases when gestational diabetes of pregnant women, without proper control and treatment, turns into type 2 diabetes. The main “culprit” is the placenta, which secretes hormones that are resistant to insulin. Most clearly, this hormonal struggle for power is manifested at a period of 28 - 36 weeks, during which period the glycemic profile during pregnancy is prescribed.
Sometimes in the blood or urine of pregnant women, the sugar content exceeds the norm. If these cases are single, do not worry - this is the "dancing" physiology of pregnant women. If elevated glycemia or glycosuria (sugar in the urine) is observed more than twice and on an empty stomach, you can think about diabetes of pregnant women and prescribe an analysis for glycemic profile. Without hesitation, and immediately you need to assign such an analysis in cases:
- overweight or obese pregnant;
- diabetes in first-line relatives;
- ovarian disease;
- pregnant women over 30 years old.
Glucometers: requirements, features
Since sampling and measurements must always be carried out with the same glucometer (calibrations may vary in them), ease of use and accuracy of analyzes are absolute and mandatory requirements. Additional advantages of glucometers when choosing:
- Memory (saving previous data).
- Display size and compactness.
- The volume of a drop of necessary blood for analysis (the less the better).