Diabetes: symptomen, diagnose en complicaties

Diabetes can be initially identified based on symptoms.

Hyperglycemic patients may present common symptoms, including polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and weight loss.

Diabetes is confirmed by blood glucose tests and oral glucose tolerance tests.

On fasting, a healthy person will have a plasma glucose concentration ＜100 mg/dL, while patients with hyperglycemia will have a plasma glucose concentration ≥ 126 mg/dL, or an oral glucose tolerance test showing plasma glucose levels ≥ 200 mg/dL.

They will have A_1c levels ≥ 6.5%, indicating average blood sugar levels over 3 consecutive months.

Diabetes, when untreated, can lead to severe metabolic disturbances such as diabetic ketoacidosis and a hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state.

It can also lead to chronic end-organ effects, such as retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, myocardial infarction, and stroke.