MEDICAL
LABORATORY, THE GRASSROOT APPROACH TO DIABETES MANAGEMENT AND PREVENTION.
The role of laboratory medicine in management,
treatment and prevention of diseases of all kind cannot be overemphasized.
People should therefore come to limelight and embrace standard practice. Gone
are the days in Nigeria when treatment is based on assumption from mere symptoms.
Nailing the ailment before any medication is the paramount thing in medical
practice.
Diabetes is fast becoming an epidemic in the world
with estimated increase by 2030 (WHO). In
2012; more than 371 million people have diabetes worldwide, 4.8 million died
due to diabetes, 14 million people in Africa have diabetes, 4.3% of adults in Africa
are living with diabetes, 401,276 deaths in Africa were due to diabetes,
Nigeria have the highest percentage of people living with diabetes in African region
with a total case of 3.2 million in 2012 (adapted from 2012 fact sheet of
international diabetes federation). Yet half of people with diabetes are
undiagnosed. The way forward to prevention of this disease is awareness. There
is not enough awareness without the persuasion to stay checked.
I always recommend blood glucose test for every visit
to the hospital. Checking blood glucose level should be a thing of pleasure for
everyone especially those who are at risk of developing diabetes. It is now
crystal clear that diabetes is no longer a disease for the old, at any age one
can come down with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is at least preventable and controllable when we understand and put all necessary preventive measures to work.
The Precious Diabetes Foundation team for three
years now has been campaigning with the local theme “KNOW YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE
LEVEL”. It only takes the determination to stay healthy and diabetes free to
walk into a medical laboratory center to ask for a blood glucose test. You may
have to make this a habit if you have a family history.
Among the critical role she plays, the medical laboratory
provide you is firsthand information on the following:
- · Your fasting blood glucose level.
- · Glycated haemoglobin level: test for the totally level of glucose in your blood for the past three months.
- · Urine analysis for glucose
Other test include oral glucose
tolerance test (OGTT), Random and post prandial blood glucose level, urine analysis
for ketones, protein albumin, plasma lipid profile, electrolytes, urea,
creatinine. These tests comprise the screening, confirmatory and management
test as applicable. Advanced laboratory technique include: Islet cell
auto-antibodies (ICA), Glutamic acid decarboxylase auto-antibodies (GADA), 1A-2A protein
tyrosine phosphatase auto antibodies, (IAA) auto antibodies to insulin,
C-peptide, IV-glucose load etc.
Diabetes in many patients is
usually asymptomatic until it becomes life threatening. Most of the diagnosed
patients happen to be accidental. Constant blood glucose test/ monitoring is
strictly advice. In addition, its high time Nigerians follow the advice of Dr.
Colbert in his book WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW MAY BE KILLING YOU and i quote, “eat
living food”.
