Facts on Hyperglycemia and Cardiovascular Disease

1. Hyperglycemia Can Be an Early Warning Sign

Hyperglycemia (or high blood sugar) can be a warning sign that something is not right with the way that you metabolize glucose. It can also be one of the first symptoms of diabetes. Your body depends on well-regulated levels of blood glucose to keep things running smoothly. When there's too much glucose in the blood, you'll often feel tired, have blurred vision, suffer from unquenchable thirst and need to frequently urinate. While high blood sugar can be the result of your body's normal responses to eating too much food, stress or getting too little exercise, the symptoms should pass within a few hours. If they don't, check with your doctor.

2. Annual Physicals Can Detect the Silent Diseases

Certain cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are sneaky--they only appear after they're already out of control. In fact, many diabetics have the disease for years before they know that they have it. The best way to make sure that you're truly healthy is to get an annual physical--especially if you're over the age of 50 or have a family history of cardiovascular disease. During your physical examination, you'll be given a number of tests to rule out high blood pressure, abnormal blood chemistries, cancer and other diseases. If anyone in your family has had heart disease, your doctor may also recommend a stress test.

3. Your Blood Chemistry Says a Lot About You

Just like checking the oil in your car, it's important to have your blood analyzed as part of an annual physical examination. A complete blood chemistry test will not only look for abnormalities in your liver, kidneys and other organs, it is often the first step in monitoring how well your body uses glucose--the principle fuel used by your body. If your doctor discovers abnormally high levels of glucose, it could be an indicator that you have diabetes mellitus. One of the "silent diseases," diabetes can affect people years before it's detected--often times long after damage has already been done.

4. Look at the Big Picture

One of the dangers of having too much information is not looking at the big picture. For instance, high levels of circulating blood glucose does not automatically mean that you have diabetes. High blood sugar can occur immediately after meals, skipping or not taking enough of your medications, not getting enough exercise, enduring emotional stress or being ill. If your blood sugar is high for brief periods of time, it's probably nothing to be concerned about. However, if it continues over time and you have other unexplainable symptoms like unquenchable thirst or hunger and a constant need to urinate, then it's probably time to see your doctor.

5. Talk to Your Doctor and Pharmacist

If you're experiencing hyperglycemia (also called high blood glucose) that is directly related to diabetes, don't despair. There are a number of treatments that your doctor can prescribe for you that weren't even around 10 or 20 years ago. If you need to take insulin, he may suggest that you take a combination of rapid-acting and "basal" insulin to normalize your blood glucose levels. There are also "insulin sensitizing" drugs available that will help your body use insulin. And if you're lucky, you may not even need drugs. Many type II diabetics find relief by reducing their weight and getting more exercise. However you approach your hyperglycemia, it's important to maintain an open dialogue with your physician and pharmacist.