‘Mark’ my words when I state that many of you need more awareness on how to confirm the status of a chronic condition.
But to do that you need to have certain blood tests taken at least once a year or as advised by your treating doctor.
This blog is a shoutout on certain important “biomarkers”, or identifiers, that will help you identify what chronic conditions you have.
Fret not! These aren’t the tuff-to-comprehend types. Just simple terms you need to familiarize yourself with. That’s all.
So, dive right in, shall we?
First off and most importantly, let’s see how to identify diabetes. There are three vital identifiers here: HbA1c, Fasting Blood Sugar, and Post Prandial Blood Sugar.
HbA1c is what we technically call ‘glycosylated haemoglobin’. As most of you would be aware, haemoglobin or “Hb” is the compound that gives blood its typical red colour.
Sugar molecules in the bloodstream—particularly “monosaccharides” like glucose—spontaneously stick to Hb turning it into “HbA1c” or sugar-coated “glycated” haemoglobin.
Putting two and two together, you would now understand that the % of total haemoglobin in the blood that has a coating of sugar on it indicates the status of diabetes in your body.
The below table would give you a clearer picture of this:
HbA1c % | Status of Diabetes |
Below 5.7 | No diabetes |
5.7 % to 6.4 % | Prediabetes |
6.5% or higher | Diabetes |
Interestingly, the HbA1c test provides the average value of blood sugar in your body in the last 90 days, since the red blood cells have an average lifespan of 3 months.
The other two identifiers are blood sugar levels measured in mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre).
Fasting Blood Sugar (mg/dL) | Post Prandial Blood Sugar (mg/dL) | Status of Diabetes |
99 or less | Less than 140 | No diabetes |
100-125 | 140-199 | Prediabetes |
126 or more | 200 or more | Diabetes |
Low blood sugar “hypoglycaemia” occurs when plasma glucose drops below 70 mg/dL. However, signs and symptoms occur only when it drops below 55 mg/dL.
Next up, let’s see how to identify hypertension. The only identifier in this case is the measured value of blood pressure in mm Hg (millimetres of mercury).
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood on the walls of the arteries through which it flows. Depending on this measurement, blood pressure is classified as shown in the following table:
Systolic BP (mm Hg) | Diastolic BP (mm Hg) | Classification | |
Less than 120 | Less than 80 | Normal | |
120-129 | Less than 80 | Elevated | |
130-139 | 80-89 | Stage 1 Hypertension | |
140-159 | 90-99 | Grade 1 Hypertension | Stage 2 Hypertension |
160-179 | 100-109 | Grade 2 Hypertension |
180 or more | 110 or more | Grade 3 Hypertension |
Thirdly, let see how to identify obesity. The only identifier here is BMI, or Body Mass Index, an equation that involves both the height and weight of a person. It is classified as shown in the following table:
Body Mass Index (kg/m2) | Classification |
Less than 18.5 | Underweight |
18.5 to 24.9 | Normal |
25 to 29.9 | Overweight |
30 to 34.9 | Class I Obesity |
35 to 39.9 | Class II Obesity |
40 or above | Class III Obesity |
Fourthly, let’s see how to identify chronic kidney disease (CKD). There are three vital identifiers here: eGFR or estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), and Serum Creatinine.
eGFR | Less than 60 ml/min* per 1.73 m2 |
BUN | More than 140 mg/dL** |
Serum Creatinine | More than 13.5 mg/dL |
Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR) | A1 | Less than 30 mg/g*** |
A2 | 30-299 mg/g |
A3 | 300 or more mg/g |
* Millilitres per minute per square metre ** Milligrams per decilitre *** Milligrams of albumin per gram of creatinine in 1 decilitre of urine |
Finally, let’s see how to identify thyroid disorders. There are two types here: hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).
There are three vital identifiers here: T4 (Thyroxine), T3 (Triiodothyronine), & TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone).
