Diabetes

Diabetes, or to use the full medical term, diabetes mellitus, is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels. Diabetes is characterised by recurrent or persistent hyperglycemia and is diagnosed by two alternate methods - measurement of glucose plasma and the prevalence of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the blood.

The key to managing diabetes is early diagnosis. EKF Diagnostics' range of analysers include specialist devices for measuring both glucose and glycated hemoglobin.

A WORLDWIDE CONDITION

Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic. It is one of the world's most prevalent non-communicable diseases and is recognised as the fourth or fifth largest cause of death in most developed countries. Around 6% of the world's population were estimated to be affected by diabetes in 2007 and as the condition becomes an increasing problem in the developing world this figure is expected to have increased to 7.1% by 2025, representing 380 million people.

Diabetes reduced life expectancy by an average of 10 years. It has strong associations with obesity and increasingly affects children and adolescents. Its long-term complications, which include invalidity and blindness, can prove very costly and are estimated to account for 6-8% of European and American healthcare budgets.

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES

The symptoms of diabetes are many and varied. General symptoms include increased thirst, hunger and urination, and blurred vision. People with Type 1 diabetes may also be diagnosed by the smell of acetone, rapid deep breathing, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Type 1 is partly inherited and then triggered by certain infections. It can occur suddenly at any age and for people with normal body types. Type 2 diabetes is a gradual condition primarily caused by lifestyle factors and genetics and is found mostly in adults.

DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES

The management of diabetes concentrates on keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible - EKF Diagnostics have two analysers that specialise in the management of diabetes. The Biosen range specialise in measuring glucose to detect blood sugar levels.

The analysers have been designed to deliver laboratory accuracy results quickly and accurately - up to 160 samples can be measured in just one hour.

The EKF Quo-Test A1c measures the change in flourescence of a patented reagent when it reacts with glycated hemoglobin in a patient's blood sample.