Lets all take glucose tolerance tests!

[Guest guest]

I was thinking about this the other day. We should be able to test

ourselves just fine using those home diabetic blood sugar measuring

things and the pure glucose that they sell for diabetics. No need to

see a doctor, presuming that those measuring things are accurate.

Has anyone here had one done? Did you do the 50g, 75g or 100g test?

I've seen the values for fullblown diabetes diagnosis, but I don't

know the values for mild to moderate insulin resistance.

Who's game?

[Guest guest]

Maybe I'm just wimpy, but I can hardly stand the finger-prick test I get at my

checkup for anemia! I have never been in a hospital (except to be born) and

anything having to do with needles and blood and medical procedures totally

freaks me out. I don't think I'd be able to test myself...but I'd sure be

curious about my results as I think I have a mild blood sugar problem. How does

the test work?

----- Original Message -----

From: justinbond

Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 9:55 AM

Subject: Lets all take glucose tolerance tests!

I was thinking about this the other day. We should be able to test

ourselves just fine using those home diabetic blood sugar measuring

things and the pure glucose that they sell for diabetics. No need to

see a doctor, presuming that those measuring things are accurate.

Has anyone here had one done? Did you do the 50g, 75g or 100g test?

I've seen the values for fullblown diabetes diagnosis, but I don't

know the values for mild to moderate insulin resistance.

Who's game?

[Guest guest]

>>>>Has anyone here had one done? Did you do the 50g, 75g or 100g test?

I've seen the values for fullblown diabetes diagnosis, but I don't

know the values for mild to moderate insulin resistance.

Who's game?

****Me! Unless it's really expensive. Just need to know how to interpret the

results.

Suze Fisher

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg/

mailto:s.fisher22@...

[Guest guest]

> Who's game?

I might be. Depends on how long you need to fast to get an accurate

result...

[Guest guest]

> Maybe I'm just wimpy, but I can hardly stand the finger-prick test

I get at my checkup for anemia! I have never been in a hospital

(except to be born) and anything having to do with needles and blood

and medical procedures totally freaks me out. I don't think I'd be

able to test myself...but I'd sure be curious about my results as I

think I have a mild blood sugar problem. How does the test work?

>

I'm really curious about whether I have blood sugar problems also. I

think I used to have mild hypoglycemia but maybe not anymore.

The basic procedure is this: fast for 12 hours (usually overnight).

Then prick your finger and measure your fasting glucose. Then take

50, 75 or 100 grams of glucose (they sell this for diabetics at drug

stores). Then you take further measurements at differant intevals to

track how your blood sugar changes in response to the glucose

feeding. 1, 2, and 3 hours are the most common. Here is one link:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003466.htm

The only problem is their numbers are for full blown diabetes. I'd

like to see the numbers for mild insulin resistance. But I think Dr.

Atkins discusses that in his book, which I've got.

So we'd have to go to the drugstore and buy the diabetes stuff. Some

glucose, some glucose sticks, and the glucose measuring device. I

think they cost about $60. Expensive, but unless you've got great

insurance its probably cheaper than a doctors visit to have it done,

and you can repeat a few months down the line for free.

[Guest guest]

>I think they cost about $60. Expensive, but unless you've got great

>insurance its probably cheaper than a doctors visit to have it done,

>and you can repeat a few months down the line for free.

Hmmm, I think I'm going to beg off for now then. That's about 4 times as

much as I thought it would be. I'm trying to save up for my annual New

Orleans fix right now. The cost of satisfying my curiosity would buy me

about 5-10 large orders of boiled crawfish or 5-10 absinthes or 2-4 bottles

of wine for evening sipping at a sidewalk cafe. Yep, I'm keeping my $60....

[Guest guest]

I've read that the best test for insulin resistance is

fasting insulin test. However, I am thinking that if I

don't eat much carbs and protein the evening before

the test, then my insulin may be low in the morning,

which may not be indicative of high insulin

sensitivity. Perhaps, using both test is best.

Roman

--- justinbond <justin_bond@...> wrote:

>

> > Maybe I'm just wimpy, but I can hardly stand the

> finger-prick test

> I get at my checkup for anemia! I have never been

> in a hospital

> (except to be born) and anything having to do with

> needles and blood

> and medical procedures totally freaks me out. I

> don't think I'd be

> able to test myself...but I'd sure be curious about

> my results as I

> think I have a mild blood sugar problem. How does

> the test work?

> >

>

> I'm really curious about whether I have blood sugar

> problems also. I

> think I used to have mild hypoglycemia but maybe not

> anymore.

>

> The basic procedure is this: fast for 12 hours

> (usually overnight).

> Then prick your finger and measure your fasting

> glucose. Then take

> 50, 75 or 100 grams of glucose (they sell this for

> diabetics at drug

> stores). Then you take further measurements at

> differant intevals to

> track how your blood sugar changes in response to

> the glucose

> feeding. 1, 2, and 3 hours are the most common. Here

> is one link:

>

>

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003466.htm

>

> The only problem is their numbers are for full blown

> diabetes. I'd

> like to see the numbers for mild insulin resistance.

> But I think Dr.

> Atkins discusses that in his book, which I've got.

>

> So we'd have to go to the drugstore and buy the

> diabetes stuff. Some

> glucose, some glucose sticks, and the glucose

> measuring device. I

> think they cost about $60. Expensive, but unless

> you've got great

> insurance its probably cheaper than a doctors visit

> to have it done,

> and you can repeat a few months down the line for

> free.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 11:44 AM 4/19/02 -0400, you wrote:

>>>>>Has anyone here had one done? Did you do the 50g, 75g or 100g test?

>I've seen the values for fullblown diabetes diagnosis, but I don't

>know the values for mild to moderate insulin resistance.

>

>Who's game?

I had the fasting 3 or 4 hour glucose test toward the end of carrying my

youngest. Didn't have gestational diabetes. I liked sugar more then but the

glucose nearly gagged me. Can't imagine doing it now. Soda sugar gives me the

need to spit it out.

Wanita

[Guest guest]

I'm seriously considering buying one of the 'testers'. They cost $60-100

and are good for years. The thing with blood sugar is that you REALLY want

to plot the curve after a meal (esp. a high-sugar/starch meal, or do a

fasting glucose test). I did a glucose test years ago, and did lousy (big

spike, then big drop). Based on my current lack of low-glucose " blackouts " ,

and my ability to actually go without eating every 3 hours, I'd say I'm

better now. OR my blood sugar is just stuck on " high " and maybe I'm really

sick (I don't think so, I feel very good).

I'd be curious about the effect of these fats on cholesterol and the heart

too. Mine's always been pretty good, but I was eating lots of PUFA's, just

like they recommend. Now I'm not, and yeah, I FEEL better, my skins better,

my brain is happier -- but I'm still not clear on the science involved. I

do think none of the current studies were done on grass-fed beef or

non-pasteurized milk -- but this group would be the best test case in

America, for an alternate algorithm. That link posted the other day got me

thinking, when I read it: their take is that it's the high protein levels

that protected the paleo people from the effects of all that fat. (see text

below: sorry for the wrapping)

http://www.beyondveg.com/cordain-l/macronutr/macronutr-ratios-1b.shtml

(I understand about cholesterol being there for repair, etc., but if it

really goes UP on a " paleo " diet, for example, then that says something. If

it DOESN'T go up on a high-fat, low sugar, low PUFA diet, then that says

something too. Has anyone done any tests on this?)

-- Heidi

Regarding the second part of the above comment, it is partially correct to

say that omega-3 (n3) fats provide protection

against CHD, but it has little to do, directly, with keeping the arteries

clear (i.e., atherosclerosis). N3 fats provide

protection from CHD in that they lower triglycerides and perhaps VLDL;

additionally, they reduce platelet adhesitivity

and decrease thrombotic tendencies as well as reducing cardiac arrhythmias

[Leaf et al.1988]. However, recent largescale

meta-analyses [ 1997] show that n3 fats actually cause a 5-10% rise

in LDL cholesterol and a small rise (1-

3%) in HDL. Eskimo populations indeed do consume higher levels of both

saturated fat and polyunsaturated n3 fats than

do Western populations; they also exhibit significantly lower serum LDL and

total cholesterol levels than Europeans

[bang and Dyerberg 1980].

Thus, logic (derived from the meta-analytical data) dictates that the n3

fats are not the element responsible for the lower

total and LDL serum cholesterol in these populations. Careful analysis of

Bang and Dyerberg's data [1980] reveals a

much higher protein intake (26% of total calories) compared to the 11%

value in Danes. High protein intakes are known

to cause drastic inhibition of hepatic VLDL synthesis [Kalopissis et al.

1995] (VLDLs are the source of LDLs), and

high-protein diets in humans have been clinically shown to reduce total

cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides

while simultaneously increasing HDL [Wolfe 1995]. Further, acute

consumption of high levels of low-fat (6.5%), leanbeef

protein is not associated with a post-prandial rise in insulin but rather

an increase in glucagon levels [Westphal et al.

1990].