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About Diabetes
What causes Diabetes
Do you have Diabetes?
Are you at risk for Diabetes?
Screening for Diabetes
Complications of
Diabetes
Treating Diabetes
Screening for Diabetes
Often, blood tests taken during a physical exam or those taken
for other reasons detect the presence of diabetes. However, in
some instances, diabetes remains undetected until it begins to
cause damage to other organs, such as the kidneys. Experts
generally agree that after the age of 40, fasting blood
glucose tests should be completed. If the tests are normal, they should be
done every three years from that point forward. If the tests
show heightened blood glucose levels, the tests should be done
yearly. It can be important for patients to request these
tests, as they are not always included as a routine test
carried out during a physical exam. Talk to your doctor about
these tests and your potential risk factors.
Although blood sugar levels fluctuate to some degree,
fasting blood glucose tests can determine if your level is in
the acceptable range. After fasting overnight, the normal
range for blood glucose levels is 70-110 mg/dL (milligrams of
glucose per deciliter of blood). If your fasting glucose level
is consistently above 126 mg/dL, you very likely have
diabetes.
There are several tests that can detect the presence of
diabetes.
1) Fasting Blood Glucose test
Because blood glucose levels rise after eating, overnight
fasting (or fasting for a period of 8 hours) prior to the test
is preferred. This test is as simple as any blood test where
blood is drawn from your arm and sent out to a lab for
analysis, where the level of blood sugar in your blood is
measured. If the level is too high, your doctor will likely
repeat the test before concluding that you have diabetes.
2) Random blood sugar test
This test is done at the same time as your blood is tested for
any other problems. It does not require fasting, and because
the patient may have eaten prior to the test, levels under 200
mg/dL are not considered alarming, until a fasting blood
glucose test is completed. This test should be done if the
glucose level is above 126 mg/dL.
3) Finger prick blood sugar test
This test is fast and easy, only requiring a pin prick single
drop of blood. This drop of blood is placed onto a strip that
has been treated chemically, which is then inserted into a
machine capable of measuring blood sugar levels. If your blood
sugar level is above 126 mg/dL, more conclusive tests, such as
a fasting blood glucose test, should be done.
4) Glycated hemoglobin test (hemoglobin A-1C test)
This test is usually carried out only after a diagnosis of
diabetes has been made. This test allows your doctor to
measure your blood glucose level over the previous 2 or 3
months. This test measures the amount of blood sugar attached
to hemoglobin molecules. The body's hemoglobin molecules are
iron rich molecules that are present in red blood cells and
that deliver oxygen to the body. The more hemoglobin molecules
with sugar attached that are present in your red blood cells,
the higher the blood sugar levels.
5) Glucose tolerance test
After fasting for 8 hours, 8 ounces of sweet liquid is
consumed. Blood sugar levels are tested prior to drinking the
liquid, then every hour for 3 hours after. The amount that
blood sugar levels rise in these hours can indicate the
presence of diabetes. This test is often used to screen
pregnant women for gestational diabetes.
Read more from the
National
Institute of Diabetes. For Americans living with
diabetes, the
American Diabetes Association offers useful information,
resources and support. |
