Diet Cure: How Important are Laboratory Tests for a Diabetic Patient?

The treatment of any disease including diabetes mellitus is monitored and modified according to different tests, like urine or blood tests, X-rays, ECG and other specialised ones.

Patients can have some idea of control of diabetes correlating it with its symptoms. Although it is only a rough estimation, it is very important from the patient’s point of view because they are mainly concerned with their symptoms.

More precise estimation can be done only with various tests, mainly of urine and blood. A few decades ago all these tests were done in the laboratory, except the urine test for sugar with Benedict’s solution which the patients could do on their own.

Of late, we have realised that a much stricter control of diabetes is the only method by which we can prevent the complications and ensure healthy survival.

For its success, we have to rely on more frequent and accurate tests. In practice, it may not be possible to go to the laboratory so often and at odd hours, because of inconvenience, time loss and the cost involved.

Now better and easier methods of urine or blood sugar tests are available. Benedict’s test requires boiling of reagent and urine sample, which meant the test could be done only at home, risk of burn injury and the fact that the test may give false positive results with interfering substances like vitamin C or Aspirin.

Today test strips like GLUCOTEST (Nicolas Piramal Ltd) or DIASTIX (Miles India Ltd) are convenient to carry anywhere, just dip the strip in urine and match the colour after a specified time (no boiling). One can carry the bottle in the purse or briefcase and test urine anywhere, at any odd hour as well.

Similar strips are available for testing both sugar and albumin in urine, URISTIX (Miles India Ltd), or testing sugar and ketones, KETODIASTIX (Miles India Ltd) or ketones, GLUKETUR (Nicolas Piramal Ltd).

Albumin in urine is the first indication of kidney damage due to diabetes. Whenever blood sugar is high, urine ketone gives the indication of the dangerous situation, called diabetic coma. Consult your doctor urgently.

Urine test is very easy, convenient and economical. Just learn the right technique, do it more often to regulate your treatment.

Now, even the blood sugar test which can be done by the patients, conveniently, is available. These are done with a drop of blood on the strip which has a reagent pad, when inserted in a metre it directly gives the reading of blood glucose value.

The following metres are available in the market:

1. Reflolux – S, Accutrend alfa, Advantage (Nicolas Piramal Ltd).
2. One Touch, & Sure step (Lifescan)

These instruments and their strips are available in India. It has an autolet device which makes the finger-prick also easier.

The blood sugar should be tested frequently, in fasting, after meals (PP), and at any time of the day or night if required, specially when the levels are suspected to be very low or high.

It is important to record the data date-wise for future reference and adjustment of the dose of oral drugs or insulin. Self blood glucose monitoring is a must for all those patients taking insulin.

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