Last month, in A Brief Insight Into Diabetes Part I, I discussed the basic tenets of Type II diabetes, the form of the illness that is increasing in epidemic proportions. I focused primarily on lifestyle changes. This month, I am going to focus more on testing and treatment.

If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, be sure to request a comprehensive blood panel on your first visit to your doctor. At a minimum this panel should include the following markers: blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, a lipid panel, a c-peptide or insulin, homocysteine, highly sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-crp), vitamin D, liver enzymes, testosterone (in men) and a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). Some of these tests may be new to you: the hemoglobin A1c is the standard medical lab used to indicate what the average blood glucose level has been over the past three months; a c-peptide and insulin level will tell us how capable the pancreas is at producing insulin and when a diabetic definitely needs to be put on insulin; homocysteine and hs-crp are inflammatory markers; men with low testosterone will have greater difficulty managing their blood sugar and a CMP identifies any immediate issues with the kidneys and liver that must be prioritized in the treatment protocol. There are additional tests that may prove valuable. For example, a salivary cortisol test will identify any imbalances in adrenal hormones that—if left unaddressed—could promote ongoing obesity, poor sleep, anxiety, lack of satiety and low energy.  Click here to continue reading…