Originally published November 1 2005
Israeli researchers rework method for identifying diabetes risks
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Dr. Amir Tirosh, an internist and researcher at the department of internal medicine at Sheba Medical Center, authored a study of glucose levels and found that the consideration of other factors, including family history, body mass index and triglycerides is necessary before arriving at a risk estimation.
"The results suggest that a normal glucose level (a level that is not associated with increased diabetes risk) may have to be defined in a more individualized manner with different values, depending on a person`s additional risk factors," said study author Dr. Amir Tirosh, an internist and researcher at the department of internal medicine at Sheba Medical Center.
"People and physicians should not look only on the current definition of normal and abnormal blood glucose levels when assessing an individual`s risk to develop diabetes.
Normal fasting blood sugar levels are considered those that fall below 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) of blood, while anything between 100 and 125 mg/dl is considered pre-diabetic, according to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Once fasting glucose levels rise to 126 mg/dl and above, a person is considered diabetic.
One reason it`s important to identify people who are pre-diabetic is that they may be in poorer health than those who don`t have an impending risk of the disease.
A study presented at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in June found that people with pre-diabetes have health-care costs about one-third higher than those with normal blood sugar levels.
Those steps include lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and exercise, or medication.
In people with type 2 diabetes, either the body doesn`t produce enough insulin -- a hormone needed for the body to convert blood sugar to energy for cells -- or the cells ignore the insulin.
For example, obese men with fasting glucose levels between 91 and 99 mg/dl had eight times the risk of developing the disease, compared to non-obese men with blood glucose readings less than 86 mg/dl, the study found.
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