Diabetes, type 1

Other types of diabetes and high blood glucose

Impaired glucose tolerance

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT for short) is also called prediabetes. If you have this condition, your body may be slow at getting your blood glucose (sugar) level back to normal after you eat.

In healthy people, the level of glucose in their blood rises after a meal. Then it drops down to normal in one to two hours. But if you have impaired glucose tolerance, it can take at least three hours for your blood glucose level to get back to normal after you eat.

Having impaired glucose tolerance means you're more likely to get type 2 diabetes. You might also be more likely to get

heart disease
You get heart disease when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

heart disease.

Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Diagnosis of diabetes.
January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

If you have impaired glucose tolerance, your doctor will want to test your blood glucose level regularly. And he or she will talk with you about ways to lower your chances of getting diabetes.

Diabetes in pregnancy

Some women have high levels of glucose in their blood when they are pregnant but not at other times. This is called gestational diabetes. If you get this kind of diabetes, it can be harmful to both you and your baby if it isn't treated.

Many women with diabetes in pregnancy can control their diabetes just by watching what they eat. Others have to take insulin injections during pregnancy. Ask your doctor which treatment is best for you.

If you have gestational diabetes, it will probably go away after your baby is born. But you're more likely to get type 2 diabetes later in life.

If you have diabetes, before you plan to become pregnant discuss with your doctors ways to keep you and your baby healthy.

The metabolic syndrome

The metabolic syndrome isn't a disease. It's a group of features that are linked to your body's metabolism. Your metabolism is the name given to all the chemical processes that happen in your body. The metabolic syndrome is also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome.

Source:
Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Daniels SR, et al.
Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome: an American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute scientific statement.
Circulation. 2005; 112: 2735-2752.

The most common features of the metabolic syndrome are:

Extra fat around your abdomen
High levels of bad fats in your blood
Low levels of a good fat called

HDL cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood. You can get it from food and it is also made by the liver. Having a lot of cholesterol in your blood can cause health problems. But HDL cholesterol is sometimes called 'good' cholesterol, because it may lower the risk of heart disease. HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein.

high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
blood pressure
Blood pressure is the amount of force exerted by the blood on the walls of the vessels that carry it. You can think of it like the water pressure in your home: the more pressure you have, the faster and more forcefully the water flows out of the shower. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (written as mm Hg). When your blood pressure is taken, the measurement is given as two numbers, for example 120/80 mm Hg. The first, higher, number is called the systolic pressure, and the second, lower, number is the diastolic pressure. The systolic number is the highest pressure that occurs while the heart is pushing blood into the arteries. The diastolic number is the lowest pressure that happens when the heart is relaxing and is not pushing the blood.

Blood pressure that is higher than normal
Blood that clots too easily
Problems with how your body uses

insulin
Insulin is a hormone that helps your body use glucose, a type of sugar that gives you energy. Insulin keeps your levels of glucose steady. It also helps glucose get into your cells from your blood. People who have diabetes do not have enough insulin or do not react to insulin strongly enough. This leads to too much glucose in their blood.

insulin. You may have too much glucose (sugar) in your blood.

If you have any of the features of the metabolic syndrome, your doctor will tell you what to do to stay healthy. Losing weight and exercising regularly are important. Your doctor might advise you to make other changes in the way you live, and you might also need medication.

If you have metabolic syndrome, you are more likely to get type 2 diabetes,

heart disease
You get heart disease when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

heart disease, a

stroke
You have a stroke when the blood supply to a part of your brain is cut off. This damages your brain and can cause symptoms like weakness or numbness on one side of your body. You may also find it hard to speak if you've had a stroke.

stroke and some other conditions.

Sources for the information on this page:

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of diabetes.January 2005. Available at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov (accessed on 10 December 2008).

Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Daniels SR, et al.Diagnosis and management of the metabolic syndrome: an American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute scientific statement.Circulation. 2005; 112: 2735-2752.

This information was last updated on Jan 07, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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