Guide 1/6 in our diabetes series.
For more context, you can revisit the other Guides in this 6-week diabetes series:
· Week 2 – Silent Epidemic & Risks,
· Week 5 – Warning Signs & Complications,
· Week 6 – Care Pathways & Modern Follow-Up.
Each GUIDE article has a matching, more scientific counterpart in the Essential series, available free of charge to all newsletter subscribers.
Each GUIDE article has a matching, more scientific counterpart in the Essential series, available free of charge to all newsletter subscribers.ost people hear “diabetes” and think “too much sugar”.
Public health organisations describe diabetes more precisely as a chronic (long-lasting) condition that affects how your body turns food into energy.
This article is a short introduction. At the end, you will find official references with full URLs (CDC, WHO, ADA, NIH) so you can verify every statement and explore the topic in more depth.
From food to energy: where diabetes starts
When you eat, your body breaks most of the food down into glucose, a form of sugar that enters your bloodstream. The pancreas then releases insulin, a hormone that helps glucose move from the blood into the cells, where it is used as energy.
In diabetes:
the body does not make enough insulin
does not use insulin well (insulin resistance)
or both
Over time, this leads to chronically elevated blood glucose, which can damage blood vessels, nerves, eyes, kidneys and other organs.
The main types of diabetes
International and national organisations describe three main clinical types of diabetes, plus an important intermediate stage called prediabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune form of diabetes: the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Key points:
the body produces little or no insulin
it often begins in children or adolescents, but can appear at any age
people with type 1 diabetes need insulin from outside the body to survive
with current knowledge, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes worldwide and in the United States.
Two mechanisms usually combine:
insulin resistance – the body’s cells do not respond normally to insulin
relative insulin deficiency – over time, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to keep blood glucose in the normal range
Frequently observed features:
more common in adults, but increasingly seen in younger people
strongly associated with excess body weight, physical inactivity and family history, although genetics and other factors also play a role
many people live with type 2 diabetes for years without knowing it, because early symptoms can be very mild or absent
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is first recognised during pregnancy.
According to large public health sources:
blood glucose is higher than normal during pregnancy
the condition usually resolves after birth
it increases the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes for the mother
it carries specific risks for both mother and baby during pregnancy
For these reasons, gestational diabetes requires careful monitoring and management by the pregnancy care team.
Prediabetes: the intermediate stage
Major public health agencies define prediabetes as a condition where blood glucose levels are:
higher than normal,
but not high enough to be in the diabetes range,
based on standard laboratory tests.
Key points:
prediabetes is described as a serious health condition
it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke
structured lifestyle change programmes (nutrition, physical activity, weight management) have been shown to reduce the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes
Why diabetes can stay silent for years
Type 2 diabetes, and often prediabetes, can develop gradually and remain unnoticed for a long time.
Classical signs of high blood glucose include:
increased thirst
frequent urination (including at night)
blurred vision
fatigue
slow-healing sores or frequent infections
However:
these symptoms may be absent or very mild in early stages
many people are diagnosed only during routine blood tests or targeted screening based on age and risk factors
This is why clinical guidelines emphasise screening in higher-risk groups, using standard, validated laboratory criteria.
How diabetes is diagnosed (in simple terms)
Professional societies such as the American Diabetes Association (ADA) publish detailed diagnostic criteria for diabetes and prediabetes in their official standards of care.
Diagnosis is based on blood tests, for example:
fasting plasma glucose (FPG)
oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)
HbA1c, which reflects average blood glucose over about three months
These organisations define specific numerical cut-offs to classify blood test results as:
normal
prediabetes
diabetes
In clinical practice, health professionals may repeat tests or combine several measurements, and always interpret results in the context of the person’s overall situation.
About complementary tools such as NLSA
Some practitioners use non-linear system analyser (NLSA) / bioresonance devices, such as the Organotest system, as complementary energetic assessment tools. These systems are presented by their promoters as tools of “quantum medicine” or bioresonance, aimed at analysing bio-frequencies and energetic balance in the body.
However, information from manufacturers and practitioners themselves clearly states that:
the NLSA scanner is not a medical device
it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition
it does not replace medical tests
it does not detect diseases and does not provide a medical diagnosis
Consequently:
only standard medical evaluation and recognised laboratory tests can detect or confirm prediabetes or diabetes in a clinically valid way
energetic tools like NLSA can, at most, be considered complementary, non-medical approaches used in certain practices, but they cannot be used to diagnose or rule out diabetes or prediabetes, nor to make treatment decisions
This distinction is essential to remain fully compliant with medical standards and to avoid misleading claims.
Diabetes as a long-term condition
Major organisations such as WHO, CDC and ADA all describe diabetes as a chronic disease.
Across these documents, several points are consistent:
diabetes usually requires lifelong monitoring and management
recommended care combines:
education and support
attention to nutrition and physical activity
regular monitoring of blood glucose and other risk factors
medicines when indicated (including insulin in some cases)
periodic review to detect and manage complications
The overall goal is to reduce the risk of complications (for example, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, eye disease and nerve damage) while supporting the best possible quality of life.
What comes next in this series
This first article sets the baseline:
what diabetes is
the main types
why it may progress silently for years
In the next articles, we will use the same strictly evidence-based approach to explore:
the “silent epidemic” of diabetes and prediabetes
how sleep and diabetes interact (including how sleep problems can be one of several signals that something metabolic is wrong)
the role of everyday habits — including sleep — in metabolic health
how modern guidelines integrate these elements into long-term care
No miracle promises, no shortcuts – only what can be supported by verifiable sources, whose URLs are listed below.
Organotest
If you are exploring complementary, non-medical tools that some practitioners use alongside conventional care to better observe complex, chronic patterns over time, you may want to look at the Organotest NLSA system.
Organotest is presented as a quantum / bioresonance assessment tool, not as a medical device and not as a way to diagnose or treat diabetes. It does not replace medical evaluation, laboratory tests or professional treatment decisions.
To learn more or access the device through the official shop, visit:
Organotest – Official shop page
https://organotest.com/UK/device-alternative-medicine.awp
Note for Practitioners
Because scientific publishers regularly update, reorganize or restrict access to their articles, some reference URLs may occasionally change or become temporarily unavailable. If you notice a missing or inactive link, please inform us so we can provide the updated source and maintain the highest level of accuracy in our professional resources.
newsletter@rd2s-vital.com
References (official sources with URLs)
CDC – Diabetes Basics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes Basics.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/index.html
CDC – Diabetes (main site)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/index.html
CDC – Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention-type-2/prediabetes-prevent-type-2.html
CDC – On Your Way to Preventing Type 2 Diabetes (PDF)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Your Way to Preventing Type 2 Diabetes.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/prevent/On-your-way-to-preventing-type-2-diabetes.pdf
WHO – Diabetes Fact Sheet
World Health Organization. Diabetes – Key Facts.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
NHLBI (NIH) – What is Diabetes? Fact Sheet
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health. What is Diabetes? Fact Sheet.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/what-diabetes-fact-sheet
ADA – Standards of Care in Diabetes
American Diabetes Association. Standards of Care in Diabetes.
https://professional.diabetes.org/standards-of-care
CDC – Diabetes TV – Kickstart Handouts
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes TV – Kickstart Handouts.
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/diabetes-tv/kickstart-handouts.html
FDA – Diabetes Fact Sheet
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Diabetes Fact Sheet.
https://www.fda.gov/media/151821/download
Organotest – Device information page (non-medical, quantum / bioresonance)
Organotest. Quantum Medicine – bioresonance – EAV – Organotest NLSA.
https://organotest.com/UK/device-alternative-medicine.awp
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