It is necessary to go with an empty stomach for the extraction of blood. No previous appointment is necessary, the extractions are made from 8:00h – 10:30h from Monday to Friday. If urine tests are requested, the sample must be the first of the day and collected in a sterile container that can be purchased at pharmacies. Always avoid the first and last stream to rule out contamination from the urinary tract.
The results are delivered after 24 hours.
A basic (blood) or complete (blood and urine) diabetes screening test can be performed. The blood and urine tests are used for the diagnosis of diabetes or periodically to control the health status of the person with diabetes and assess whether the treatment they receive is adequate.
It is important to remember that the symptoms of diabetes can easily be attributed to other diseases and that the diagnosis of this pathology is key to avoid, among others, cardiovascular or ophthalmological complications that can be serious and irreversible. Possible symptoms of diabetes are increased thirst (polydipsia) and urination (polyuria), fatigue, blurred vision, unexpected weight loss, increased hunger, slow healing sores, red and swollen gums, or tingling in hands and feet.
These are the specific values studied in the diabetes profile:
- Glucose, also called glycemia or blood sugar. Especially useful in the detection and control of diabetes. Usually a study is done on an empty stomach (8 hours).
- The glycosylated hemoglobin. It serves to know the levels of plasma glucose in a period of between one and three months prior to its analysis. Unlike the specific determination of glucose, it allows to know if a good control of the glycemic levels has been made during a more extensive period.
- Microalbuminuria. It is the determination of albumin, a protein, in urine. Excessive levels show an alteration in the filtration process of the kidney. Diabetes, in addition to hypertension, can generate alterations in the kidney that are evident with these high levels of albumin in urine.
- Analysis of urine with sediment. This involves analysing a urine sample to detect alterations that may be indicative of a disease: the pH is looked at and the presence of acetone, proteins, blood, leukocytes, crystals or bacteria is checked, and the cells present in the sample are checked for normality.
