Diabetes diagnostics
Diabetes is the number one widespread disease in Germany and other industrialized nations. According to a survey by the Robert Koch Institute, around 8.5 million people in Germany have been diagnosed with diabetes, but around 2 million are diabetics and do not know it, and the trend is rising. Many people therefore have no idea of the risk of secondary diseases such as arteriosclerosis, circulatory disorders, narrowing of the coronary arteries, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, changes in vision – and the list goes on. Early diagnosis and treatment is therefore important to avoid secondary diseases.
Not all diabetes is the same
The body needs insulin, an endogenous hormone produced in the pancreas, to obtain energy from glucose in food.
In a type 1 diabetic, the pancreas cannot produce enough of the hormone, even in childhood. Insulin must be injected.
2-5% of type 1 diabetics have maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), which develops due to a genetic disorder. It can occur from childhood to early adulthood.
The majority of our patients have type 2 diabetes. They still produce insulin, but it loses its effect and insulin resistance develops due to a kind of “exhaustion” caused by years of excessive insulin consumption. Diseases such as pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas, can also promote the development of diabetes. During pregnancy and the menopause, hormonal changes promote the development of a diabetic metabolic state. Type 2 diabetes is treated with diet, changes in exercise patterns and medication. In some cases, insulin administration is also necessary during the course of the disease. The spectrum of diabetes therapy has multiplied over the years and also takes into account
How does diabetes manifest itself?
Increased thirst, frequent urination, exhaustion, weakness, ravenous appetite, dry skin with itching, impaired wound healing and susceptibility to infections are symptoms of diabetes. We can use a laboratory test to clarify whether you already have diabetes mellitus or a preliminary stage of diabetes. First, we carry out a blood test to check the sugar level. A sugar load test for the early detection of diabetes or the determination of the HbA1c value, if indicated, will confirm the diagnosis.
Persistently high sugar levels in the blood saccharifies the red blood pigment haemoglobin and this can be measured proportionally; the HbA1c value is also referred to as blood sugar memory.
Disease Management Program = DMP program for diabetes
We recommend that patients who have been proven to have diabetes voluntarily participate in the structured treatment program DMP for diabetes of your health insurance company, which monitors and improves the follow-up examination in a structured manner. Depending on the severity of the disease, this can be done twice or four times a year.