Why is this test needed?

Approximately 50% of people with diabetes don’t know they have it. Unhealthy diets, obesity and lack of exercise are the main causes of diabetes. If you have diabetes and are diagnosed early, you can be treated before illness develops. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the main cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and blindness in adults. Most cases of diabetes can be treated with just dietary measures and oral medication. Early diagnosis is critical.

In diagnosing diabetes, physicians primarily depend upon the results of specific glucose tests.  However, test results are just part of the information that goes into the diagnosis of diabetes. Doctors also take into account your physical exam, presence or absence of symptoms, and medical history. Some people who are significantly ill will have transient problems with elevated blood sugars which will then return to normal after the illness has resolved. Also, some medications may alter your blood glucose levels (most commonly steroids and certain diuretics (water pills)).  The two main tests used to measure the presence of blood sugar problems are the direct measurement of glucose levels in the blood during an overnight fast, and measurement of the body’s ability to appropriately handle the excess sugar presented after drinking a high glucose drink.

Types of tests:

Tests to diagnose diabetes include:

Random blood glucose test – blood glucose levels are checked at various times during the day, and it doesn’t matter when you last ate. Blood glucose levels tend to stay constant in a person who doesn’t have diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test – a high-glucose drink is given. Blood samples are checked at regular intervals for two hours.

Diabetes: How to Test Your Blood Glucose:

Everyone with diabetes should test their blood glucose levels regularly. Knowing your blood glucose levels allows you to alter your diabetes management strategy if your levels aren’t near your target blood glucose. Also, regular testing of your blood glucose levels can help reduce your risk of having long-term complications from diabetes. Based on studies of people with type 1 diabetes (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial [DCCT]) and type 2 diabetes (United Kingdom Prevention of Diabetes [UKPDS]), maintaining near normal blood glucose and HbA1c levels significantly reduces the risks of complications arising from diabetes.

Critical Diabetes Test - A1C - Proven To Be Accurate Average Glucose:

A mathematical relationship between the average glucose level over the preceding three months and levels of the A1C test, thus yielding translation of the A1C for reporting as estimated average glucose (eAG), was proven in an international study published online in the August issue of Diabetes Care. A1C has been used for more than 25 years as the major measure of glucose control and to establish targets for diabetes therapy.

How do diabetes test strips work?

Diabetes test strips do not work on their own, they are used in conjunction with a blood glucose monitor. A diabetic pricks themselves in order to draw blood, which is then applied to the test strip. The blood glucose monitor is then able to detect how much blood glucose is present. Other diabetic test strips can test for ketones, although these are less common that blood glucose testing strips.

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