November 8, 2003
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Rome, Georgia, USA:
At age 34, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and since I have a strong family history the doctor thought I should be tested for diabetes. I was told I have type 2 diabetes on the basis of the following oral glucose test results:
Time
Blood Glucose
Fasting
105 mg/dl [5.8 mmol/L]
30 Minutes
212 mg/dl [11.8 mmol/L]
One-hour
210 mg/dl [11.7 mmol/L]
Two-hour
130 mg/dl [7.2 mmol/L]
After reading some previous posts, I researched and found this does not meet the criteria for diagnosis. I have had a few home tests above 200 mg/dl [11.1 mmol/L] two hours after meals, but overall they are 130-150 mg/dl [7.2-8.3 mmol/L], and my A1c has always been 5-5.5%. Could the doctor have made the diagnosis based on some other factor? Could I have been misdiagnosed?
Answer:
The problem with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is that once you have the diagnosis, there is no undiagnosing it. Therefore, it is essential to know how the condition was diagnosed at the time of initial diagnosis. An oral glucose tolerance test now, years after the initial diagnosis, may document improvement in your level of glucose intolerance but does not undo the original diagnosis. Glad your hemoglobin A1c levels are good.
JTL