Type 1 diabetes needs to be watched. This includes:
Glucose Checks
Blood glucose should be tested at least 4 times per day. It should be tested before:
Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)
HbA1c is a blood test that shows a person's average blood glucose level over 2 to 3 months. This test cannot be done at home.
Test results are given in percentages:
- Less than 7%:—good diabetes control
- 7% to 8%—moderate control
- 8% to 9%—fair control
- Greater than or equal to 9%—poor control
Ketone Testing
A ketone test checks the urine or blood for ketones. The body breaks down fat when it cannot use glucose for energy. Ketones are a by-product of this process. Large amounts of ketones can lead to a deadly problem called diabetic ketoacidosis. It needs to be treated right away.
A ketone test has strips that are passed through the stream of urine or placed in a cup of urine. The strip is compared against a color chart that shows whether ketones are in the urine. Ketones in the blood can be tested for at home with meters designed for them.
References
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2019. Diabetes Care, 2019; 42 (Suppl 1): S1-193.
Diabetes mellitus type 1. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/diabetes-mellitus-type-1-39. Accessed May 5, 2022.
Type 1 diabetes. American Diabetes Association website. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/type-1. Accessed May 5, 2022.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board James P. Cornell, MD
- Review Date: 03/2022
- Update Date: 05/05/2022