Why regular blood sugar screenings are important

DETROIT (FOX 2) - When we eat something, especially carbohydrates, it turns into glucose and with help from insulin, glucose gets to our cells for energy storage.

When that doesn't happen the sugar stays in the blood, potentially doing harm. This is why keeping track of your blood sugar is so important.

"When you do a blood sugar test, that tells you what is your serum glucose level. "So, that can be variable, depending on what you've eaten, whether you're fasting or not," Ascension nephrologist Dr. Iram Rehman said.

Rehman said a more accurate test is a fasting test that can determine if you have diabetes or are a pre-diabetic. 

Elevated blood sugar can lead to diabetes and impact your entire body.

"Diabetes, for instance, is a silent killer, it affects every single organ of your body. Most of all, if it affects the kidneys then people can end up on dialysis, which the No. 1 cause of kidney failure in the country," Rehman said.

The American Diabetes Association recommends regular blood sugar screenings for anyone 35 and older. Rehman says to also pay attention to your body. 

"If your sugars are running too high you tend to pee a lot, and when you're peeing a lot, you feel thirsty a lot," she said.

A rapid random blood glucose test is part of our Healthy Heart Project happening on Saturday.

Healthy Heart Project:

Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023 

Doors open at 7 a.m. Registration cut off at 10 a.m. Patients in line before the cut-off time will be seen. 

The event ends at approximately Noon - when the last patient is seen

Locations

Ascension St. John Hospital
Ascension Providence Hospital, Southfield 
Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital
Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital in Saginaw 
Ascension Borgess Heart Institute (Kalamazoo)