Problems with the endocrine system lead to the fact that failures occur in all internal organs. As a result, to find their cause, the doctor prescribes a series of studies. Among the mass of a wide variety of tests, one will also be appointed that will help check whether there are violations in carbohydrate metabolism - glucose tolerance. What is it and how it is carried out, that's about it and we will continue our story. Also very often this study is called the glucose tolerance test or the “sugar curve”.
It is based on the response to the intake of glucose into the body. Carbohydrates are the most important component, but in order for them to bring only benefits to the body and fill them with strength and energy, insulin cannot be dispensed with. It is he who is able to regulate the level of carbohydrates, limiting the sugar content, especially if a person can not do without a daily serving of sweets.
Glucose tolerance: what is it?
Glucose tolerance is a laboratory test that can detect latent or latent diabetes in a patient. He can also say that a person belongs to those who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and he needs to take all measures to prevent this. If there were violations in tolerance, then the glucose level in a person whose analysis was performed on an empty stomach slightly exceeds normal values.
If a glucose tolerance test is prescribed, the rate is indicated on the test form, which is issued on hand. A violation of tolerance is formed due to the fact that insulin secretion is reduced and the sensitivity of cells to glucose circulating in the blood is impaired.
What causes impaired glucose tolerance?
We have already been able to understand the main and interesting question about glucose tolerance - what is it. And now it’s important to know what causes these malfunctions in the body. And they occur due to the fact that there are inevitable violations in the secretion of insulin, while sensitivity also disappears.
Among the main reasons, doctors most often identify these:
- pathology of the heart and blood vessels;
- changes in carbohydrate metabolism;
- high blood pressure.
Also often this disease occurs in those who had relatives suffering from this disease. Prediabetes can be triggered by several factors:
- excess weight;
- hormonal drugs;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- age after 40 years.
Symptoms of glucose tolerance
Very often glucose tolerance during pregnancy is impaired, this is a very poor condition. But a woman in a position can independently identify the symptoms of a similar condition by the following signs:
- severe itching of the skin;
- dry skin
- bleeding gums;
- sexual weakness;
- tooth loss;
- purulent inflammation of the sebaceous glands.
To identify the cause of such symptoms, you need to undergo an examination and pass a number of tests, including glucose tolerance. What kind of analysis this is, how it goes, we will tell further.
How is the tolerance test done?
In order to choose the right treatment and make the most accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis, in our case, this is a laboratory test - to donate blood for glucose tolerance. The most convenient method of checking tolerance is considered a single load of the body with carbohydrates that are taken orally. The calculation of their quantity can be carried out in this way:
- 75 grams of glucose are taken and diluted in a glass of warm water, all the liquid obtained is drunk and only on an empty stomach;
- patients with large body weight or women bearing a baby, the dose of glucose increases to 100 grams, but in no case more;
- a glucose tolerance test is also done for children, and for them the calculation is carried out in strictness with their body weight of 1.75 g per 1 kg.
A couple of hours after taking glucose, you need to control the sugar in the body. In this case, the initial parameter should be the result of the analysis, which is done before glucose intake. The blood sugar norm should be within 6.7 mmol / l, although, according to doctors, for some this parameter can be 6.1 mmol / l, so for each individual case it is better to take its parameter personally.
If after two hours the sugar level is within 7.8 mmol / l, then this may already indicate that the body has impaired glucose tolerance.
But it is worth remembering that when using a single determination of the results in case of metabolic disorders of carbohydrates, you may not notice the peak of the “sugar curve” or simply not wait for the moment when it drops to the minimum level. That is why those that are carried out for three hours and at least 5 times are considered the most accurate results. You can take blood samples for 4 hours, every half hour.
Glucose tolerance: normal
In order to accurately determine whether there are deviations of tolerance in a particular patient, you need to know what normal indicators are. For this test, the upper limit is 6.7 mmol / l, but the lower limit is the initial indicator, to which glucose present in the blood strives. In a healthy person, after a couple of hours, it returns to the initial indicator, but in diabetics it remains at a high level. That is why there is no lower limit of the norm.
A decrease in the performance of this test may indicate that pathological malfunctions occur in the patient's body, which lead to the disruption of carbohydrate metabolism and a decrease in glucose tolerance. During pregnancy, these failures occur much more often, and all because the female body has to work for two. Tolerance may indicate the following conditions:
- secretive diabetes mellitus, which does not manifest any symptoms in the normal state, but may indicate problems in adverse conditions, for example, with stress, trauma or intoxication;
- the development of insulin resistance syndrome, which entails serious malfunctions in the work of the heart and blood vessels;
- active thyroid gland and anterior pituitary gland;
- malfunctioning of the central nervous system;
- disorders of the autonomic nervous system;
- gestational diabetes, it most often occurs during pregnancy;
- inflammation of the pancreas.
A test for glucose tolerance during pregnancy does not belong to routine tests, but still a woman is better to take it, especially if there are symptoms indicating violations in order not to miss the development of pathology and take all measures to normalize the condition. Indeed, in this case, both a woman and her unborn baby can suffer.
Who most often falls under special control by an endocrinologist?
A test for glucose tolerance during pregnancy or an ordinary person can be prescribed if they are at risk. Some diseases that occur periodically or permanently, but leading to disorders in carbohydrate metabolism and the development of diabetes mellitus, can be provocateurs: these include:
- diabetics in the family;
- excess weight;
- burdened history of the obstetrician;
- arterial hypertension;
- disruptions in fat metabolism;
- vascular damage with atherosclerosis;
- gout and high uric acid in the blood;
- occasionally high sugar levels;
- chronic pathologies of the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system;
- manifestations of the metabolic syndrome ;
- chronic infections;
- neuropathy;
- taking diabetogenic agents;
- age 45 years and above.
Glucose tolerance test standards we presented above.
What can affect the analysis data?
A patient whose doctor suspected a violation of tolerance should know that the following factors can affect the parameters of the analysis:
- If you eat flour products every day: sweets, cakes, buns. In this case, glucose is simply not able to be disposed of on its own.
- Excessive exercise, which is not canceled even on the day the test is taken, leads to impaired glucose tolerance.
- Smokers will have to be nervous, because their addiction can affect the results of the analysis.
- During the bearing of the baby, the protective mechanism against hypoglycemia is activated, which carries much more harm to the unborn baby than the hyperglycemic state. In this case, glucose tolerance during pregnancy may be slightly reduced. For poor results, you can also take physiological changes in carbohydrate metabolism due to the work of the pancreas.
- Excess weight. This symptom puts a person in the risk list, where diabetes is one of the first places.
- Disorders in the functioning of the stomach and intestines can also affect indicators.
All these factors can cause a person to worry, and in most cases not in vain. Changes in indicators should not be ignored, after a while it is worth repeating the analysis, while eliminating those factors that may affect it.
What should not be done before passing the analysis?
To obtain the most accurate results, the patient must thoroughly prepare before conducting the test:
- a few days before the analysis, it’s not worth changing anything in your usual way of life, but it’s better to correct the diet, you should consume no more than 150 g of carbohydrates per day;
- if the analysis is scheduled for tomorrow, then the meal should be no later than 10 hours before the test;
- no cigarettes, alcohol, or coffee 10 hours before analysis;
- no extra physical exertion;
- the day before, you should skip taking certain drugs: hormones, antipsychotics, diuretics;
- women should not be tested during menstruation;
- poor analysis can be obtained if the fence was taken while the patient was in great emotional distress, if he had inflammation in the liver, and an operation was recently performed;
- a poor analysis can be in cases where the patient has a low percentage of potassium in the blood;
- half an hour before blood sampling, the patient should relax and think about the good.
In some cases, the load can be carried out by administering glucose intravenously, when doing so, the doctor decides.
How is the analysis carried out?
First, blood is taken on an empty stomach for analysis, and after that the patient is given glucose to drink. In some patients, taking sweet syrup can cause nausea, if such symptoms appear, then you need to add a little citric acid, and they will go away.
After taking glucose, the patient can take a little walk next to the laboratory. When the next fence will be held, doctors say, this can happen in half an hour or an hour. And so the fence will be held 5 times.
The glycemic curve is calculated based on the numerical value of the highest glucose value and the initial concentration of sugar in the blood. It will be difficult to calculate the indicator at home, therefore it is better to entrust the calculation to a professional who will not miss an important moment and will be able to provide accurate data that are so important for the selection of further treatment.
How are glucose tolerance disorders treated?
Therapy involves following a certain diet and eliminating malfunctions in the endocrine system. Normalization of the level of lipid metabolism is also carried out, the level of uric acid is reduced. In no case is it recommended to self-medicate. Only an expert can choose an effective treatment in each individual case. Diabetes therapy provides for compliance with all the recommendations of the doctor, and this is a strict diet and taking all prescribed medications.
Preventative measures
As a prophylaxis, the doctor advises to regularly take a test in order to detect malfunctions in the body as soon as possible and begin to urgently eliminate them. To prevent remission of the disease, it is recommended to regularly monitor the level of blood pressure, the amount of calories eaten per day, and be sure to find time for physical activity.
Conclusion
Glucose tolerance is a serious criterion for assessing glucose uptake by the body. Only if a violation is detected in time can serious consequences be avoided. Therefore, if symptoms appear that indicate a violation of tolerance, or there is a predisposition, then regular consultations and following the recommendations will help to avoid health problems.