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Can A Regular Urine Test Detect Sugar Levels?

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Posted on Tue, 14 Jul 2015
Question: Can a regular urine test detect diabetes or sugar. And what are the symptoms in children? Also can a child develop diabetes with no family history
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (34 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Yes to all your questions...

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

a regular urine test may detect sugar when the blood sugar gets higher than 180mg/dL which happens very commonly in diabetics particularly the undiagnosed ones. The urinalysis cannot be used for the diagnosis of diabetes for two reasons: (1) because you may have diabetes but no sugar in the urinalysis because when the urine was produced in the kidney, your blood sugar could be lower than the threshold (180mg/dL) and (2) because other conditions may result in detectable sugar in the urinalysis without diabetes.

The classical triad of symptoms is polyuria (increased urine production), polydipsia (excessive thirst) and weight loss. The symptoms depend a lot on the individual's status. Serious lack of insulin may result in ketoacidosis and coma. Or it may present with misleading symptoms like abdominal pain (which may precede the comatose state of ketoacidosis).

For type 1 diabetes, no family history is the rule. For type 2 diabetes there is a strong genetic predisposition. If both parents have type 2 diabetes then their offspring has an almost 50% chance of having diabetes at some time during its life.

I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (20 minutes later)
For type 1 what are the causes of developing diabetes..
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (9 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
the real cause is unknown

Detailed Answer:
Unfortunately we don't really know the exact cause that triggers the destruction of the insulin producing cells in type 1 diabetes. There is some genetic influence (certain human leukocyte antigens) which may provide protection from or predispose to diabetes. Adequate infant supplementation with vitamin D has been shown to reduce type 1 diabetes incidence in the future. Some viruses have also been linked (congenital rubella and enteroviruses) but there is no clear association.

In general, there is no established cause of type 1 diabetes.

Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (25 minutes later)
Is there a blood test that can show if a person can develop diabetes
doctor
Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (6 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
there is no accurate way to predict it

Detailed Answer:
There is no accurate test to predict type 1 diabetes. There are some autoantibodies that may precede diabetes but they can't be used in clinical practice and are not recommended. You can only be vigilant regarding the symptoms and if suspicious of diabetes, contact your doctor for appropriate testing. A fasting blood glucose and (if needed) other tests (oral glucose tolerance test, glucosylated hemoglobin) may provide more diagnostic clues.

Best Regards!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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Can A Regular Urine Test Detect Sugar Levels?

Brief Answer: Yes to all your questions... Detailed Answer: Hello, a regular urine test may detect sugar when the blood sugar gets higher than 180mg/dL which happens very commonly in diabetics particularly the undiagnosed ones. The urinalysis cannot be used for the diagnosis of diabetes for two reasons: (1) because you may have diabetes but no sugar in the urinalysis because when the urine was produced in the kidney, your blood sugar could be lower than the threshold (180mg/dL) and (2) because other conditions may result in detectable sugar in the urinalysis without diabetes. The classical triad of symptoms is polyuria (increased urine production), polydipsia (excessive thirst) and weight loss. The symptoms depend a lot on the individual's status. Serious lack of insulin may result in ketoacidosis and coma. Or it may present with misleading symptoms like abdominal pain (which may precede the comatose state of ketoacidosis). For type 1 diabetes, no family history is the rule. For type 2 diabetes there is a strong genetic predisposition. If both parents have type 2 diabetes then their offspring has an almost 50% chance of having diabetes at some time during its life. I hope you find my comments helpful! You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information. Kind Regards!