Diabetes Overview

    • Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease in which the body either cannot produce insulin or cannot properly use the insulin it produces
    • This results in high blood sugar (also described as high blood glucose or hyperglycemia)
    • A consistently high blood glucose has many negative effects on the body. 
    • Diabetes has many forms but the hallmark is the inability to use or produce insulin properly
    • Insulin allows the sugar ‘glucose’ to enter the cells of the body. The cells use glucose for fuel
      If the glucose cannot enter the cells, they starve. 
    • In addition, the longer glucose remains in the blood stream, the more damage it causes (see the complications above)

There are a number of types of diabetes

    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes Testing

Fasting Glucose Test

  • During a fasting blood glucose test, you are asked to abstain from eating for 8 to 12 hours. Then a blood sample is taken from you. If your blood glucose remains elevated after 8 to hours of fasting, you may have diabetes. Your healthcare team will work with you to determine the appropriate diagnosis.

Oral Glucose Test

  • During an oral glucose tolerance test, you are asked to drink a drink high in carbohydrates. If your blood glucose remains elevated after 2 hours, you may be diabetic. Further evaluation by your healthcare team will help to determine if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic.

HbA1c Test

  • The HbA1c test measures glycated hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the iron containing protein found in red blood cells that which carries oxygen throughout the body. Hemoglobin that joins with glucose is known as glycated hemoglobin. Since red blood cells have a life cycle of approximately 3 months, if your blood sugar is consistently high, you will have an elevated HbA1c. As such, HbA1c gives your healthcare team an idea of your blood glucose levels for the last 3 months.
  • HbA1c above 48 mmol/mol (or 6.5%) = diabetes.
  • HbA1c under 42 mmol/mol (or 6.0%) = not diabetic.
  • HbA1c between 42-48 mmol/mol (or 6.0-6.5%) is ‘pre-diabetes’ or ‘at high risk of diabetes’

Excellent Resources


American Diabetes Association – http://www.diabetes.org
Diabetes Canada – http://www.diabetes.ca
Nationwide Children’s - http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/what-is-diabetes
NICE (UK) - https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg87