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If you have a friend or loved one who is at risk of developing diabetes, he can visit his doctor to find out if he is diabetic or if he has "pre-diabetes." The fasting blood glucose screening test is a blood test that measures the level of glucose or sugar in the blood.
He will need to complete this screening test on an empty stomach because his doctor wants to know what his blood glucose is before he has eaten a meal. If his blood glucose is higher than 126 mg/dl (milligrams per decileter), he does have diabetes. Normal blood glucose is considered to be less than 110 mg/dl while a blood glucose level of 110 to 125 is called an "impaired" fasting glucose. If he undergoes the fasting blood glucose screening test and his results indicate he has an impaired fasting glucose, he can take important steps to prevent diabetes. He can do this by changing his diet and losing any excess weight he may have gained. -
The person at risk of developing diabetes (Type 2) will have certain risk factors and she should educate herself about them. These risk factors include race and ethnicity (Hispanics, Asian-Americans, American Indians, African-Americans, Pacific Islanders and Alaska natives all have an increased risk of developing diabetes). If she has a history of diabetes within her family, she is at a higher risk of developing diabetes. If she is over the age of 45, her risk is higher.
If she suffers from high blood pressure, has a low HDL (good) cholesterol and high triglycerides, she is at higher risk. If she suffered from gestational diabetes in pregnancy, this increases her risk factor. If she is sedentary, she is placing herself at risk of developing diabetes. If she has an abnormal fasting blood glucose level, she is at higher risk of developing diabetes.
