Hello Everyone,

I do not intend to bore you all with the medical jargons and details about these two chronic ailments. However, I will give you a brief information of what you need to know and then allow you guys ask any questions you may have in mind.

Diabetes Mellitus - In simple terms this is a disease of deranged blood sugar levels. Our blood sugar is under regulation by a number of hormones but the most important is INSULIN. Defects in insulin activity ranging from absence , to decreased sensitivity of insulin to the body can result in two common major types of diabetes- type 1 and type 2.
The normal levels in the body are between 70-120mg/dl.... If your blood sugar is 121mg/dl, you are definitely diabetic.
WHY should we pay attention to our body when diabetic? As a diabetic, God is simply saying you have to take extra care of your body...... Diabetes predisposes one to infection, visual abnormalities, neurons and nervous system can be affected, heart, brain, kidneys, GIT all need good love and care......
WHEN should you worry? Do you have a family history? Do you eat alot of junk? Consume excess amounts of alcohol, beer, Do you find urself going to the washroom to pass urine more than necessary, do you eat alot, do you feel too tired even though you have eaten? GET ur blood sugar levels tested.

HYPERTENSION - this is a disease of the blood pressure. The body needs a certain level of blood pressure to maintain normal homeostatic functions. Any values below or above can lead to organ malfunction due to inability to maintain its function.
Blood pressure is taken with a systolic - a medical term that simply means the amount of pressure your heart is generating in order for it to pump that blood out. And Diastolic - the pressure your blood vessels generate while trying to receive this blood from the heart and deliver it to the tissues.
Normal b.p levels are:
Systolic - 90-120mmhg
diastolic - 60-90mmhg.

Now if you have a b.p of 90/70mmhg...that's normal. I have my b.p between the range of 90-110mmhg/60-70mmhg.
WHY is it important to control your b.p - increased b.p decreases the amount of time the tissues need to absorb the nutrients from the blood and at the same time decrease in blood supply. As we all age, our blood vessels thicken due to collagen and all....and this decreases the size of the blood vessel, increases the pressure it takes for blood to be effectively delivered to the tissues. Without control of ur b.p, this resultant pressure increase causes your heart to work more, and thereafter increases in size, eventually leading to heart failure, ur kidneys are stressed and that can lead to hypertensive kidney disease, brain - headaches, stroke, can all result from uncontrolled b.p
WHEN to worry? Any family history, excess salt intake? A research that was conducted says that Africans retain alot of sodium, therefore we should reduce our sodium intake.
What should you do? Exercise - try exercises like yoga, try a daily 10-15 minute meditation exercise......diets. Eat more fruits, vegetables.......


You can ask any questions you may have.....Let's promote a healthy society. Let's live healthily.

You cannot categorically say if your blood sugar is 121mg/dl ,u are diabetic. You might have consumed something that might cause a sugar spike at that moment, it doesn't mean u are diabetic.

The best method to detect diabetes is through the glycated haemoglobin test which test for your average blood sugar for 3 months.

mummyf: You cannot categorically say if your blood sugar is 121mg/dl ,u are diabetic. You might have consumed something that might cause a sugar spike at that moment, it doesn't mean u are diabetic.

The best method to detect diabetes is through the glycated haemoglobin test which test for your average blood sugar for 3 months.

Well....that's understandable. However, my 121mg/dl value is based on an overnight fast. We all know when going to the hospital for a glucose test, doctors advise an overnight fast and no meals in the morning.
So for the benefit of all doubt, any blood glucose level >120mg/dl after an overnight fast is a predisposition for diabetes mellitus.

Glycated hemoglobin is not used to DETECT diabetes, rather it is a test to access a patient's compliance in controlling their blood glucose usually over a 3month period of time. This is because the lifespan of an average RBC is 3months......
Normal values for glycated hemoglobin are between 4-5.9%.

To detect if a patient is diabetic, a fasting blood sugar level is done. If the levels are >120mg/dl, an Oral Glucose tolerance Test may or maynot be done. Depending on the health center.

Please St. Edwin, is there a blood sugar test kit for home use? If yes, where can it be purchased. Thanks

4tunebest: Please St. Edwin, is there a blood sugar test kit for home use? If yes, where can it be purchased. Thanks

Yes maim, There are blood glucose test kit for home use. I will suggest that you go to a medical store closest to you. I am not sure if the regular pharmacy stores in Nigeria sell them. I will recommend you go to a medical store though.

I want to also take this opportunity to commend you for the effort in trying to check your blood glucose values at home. It will give you a good idea on how well you are able to control it. If possible, I will also advise that you get a small notepad and record the readings every day based on the following;

Pre-breakfast, After breakfast, Pre-lunch, After-lunch, Pre-dinner, Post-dinner, and just before bedtime.
All the best.

St edwin, I can stand on it that its better to use glycated haemoglobin test instead of the blood glucose test. If a patient has a level over 6percent, u can immediately say that person has diabetes. The world is more civilised now and even WHO has approved glycated heamo test for diabetes diagnosis.
It is also a good tool to monitor patients compliance.

St. Edwin:


Yes maim, There are blood glucose test kit for home use. I will suggest that you go to a medical store closest to you. I am not sure if the regular pharmacy stores in Nigeria sell them. I will recommend you go to a medical store though.

I want to also take this opportunity to commend you for the effort in trying to check your blood glucose values at home. It will give you a good idea on how well you are able to control it. If possible, I will also advise that you get a small notepad and record the readings every day based on the following;

Pre-breakfast, After breakfast, Pre-lunch, After-lunch, Pre-dinner, Post-dinner, and just before bedtime.
All the best.

WHY CANT YOU RECOMEND HER TO A MEDICAL LAB CLOSE TO HER. THAT THE BEST COUNSEL. And are you A Physician or what?

Mbatagr82: WHY CANT YOU RECOMEND HER TO A MEDICAL LAB CLOSE TO HER. THAT THE BEST COUNSEL. And are you A Physician or what?

Must I visit the Lab each time I want to carry out the test? The test isnt done once and for all. It is done periodically to ensure that the blood sugar doesnt exceed the normal range. If there's a better option for me, why shouldnt I explore it? Besides, the kit isnt meant for me. I want to get it for my parents for effective monitoring of their blood sugar. Just as there are kits for measuring blood pressure @ home, so that there's no need to visit the clinic each time the blood pressure is to be measured.

4tunebest:

Must I visit the Lab each time I want to carry out the test? The test isnt done once and for all. It is done periodically to ensure that the blood sugar doesnt exceed the normal range. If there's a better option for me, why shouldnt I explore it? Besides, the kit isnt meant for me. I want to get it for my parents for effective monitoring of their blood sugar. Just as there are kits for measuring blood pressure @ home, so that there's no need to visit the clinic each time the blood pressure is to be measured.

Sorry, been quite busy.... @4tunebest, I would also like to recommend if you can't get any medical store close to you, you can order for some online. Also make provisions for the test strips as well. You want to have alot of them to last a while.

Some antispambot also keeps banning me. I am not sure why.

Mbatagr82: WHY CANT YOU RECOMEND HER TO A MEDICAL LAB CLOSE TO HER. THAT THE BEST COUNSEL. And are you A Physician or what?

In medical practice, besides getting your patient the best treatments possible, all round care also involves providing most convenient way comfortable for you and your patients to adequately monitor theie health.
In furtherance to your question, if you were a patient, would you consider it convenient for you to constantly keep visiting a medical lab just because you want to monitor your blood glucose?
Besides, in terms of cost-effectiveness, it's cheaper and affordable for patients to get a blood glucose kit than going every day to a medical lab.

And to your last question, I am a Doctor.

Thanks for your contribution.

mummyf: St edwin, I can stand on it that its better to use glycated haemoglobin test instead of the blood glucose test. If a patient has a level over 6percent, u can immediately say that person has diabetes. The world is more civilised now and even WHO has approved glycated heamo test for diabetes diagnosis.
It is also a good tool to monitor patients compliance.

I replied to your comment earlier but I do not know why it isn't appearing.
Glycated hemoglobin takes time. Yes, WHO may have indicated that it is the most accurate however, in medical practice where time is of importance and an immediate diagnosis is required, most modern health care facilities still use the routine Instant blood glucose monitoring kit.
Exceptions like pregnant women, where an Oral Glucose tolerance test is done initially and most times on the ward where Fasting blood sugar is ordered. However, Medical professionals still stick to using glycated hemoglobin as a tool to access compliance and control over a 3month period.

Also, research has indicated that glycated hemoglobin can produce false positive and negative results sometimes especially in patients with fast hemoglobin turn-over like sickle cell anemia patients. Or patients on chronic use of medications like aspirin, vit. C. Currently a new tool being used is a FRUCTOSAMINE ASSAY. U can also research on this to get more information.
Thanks.