Blood test for diabetes?!
Question: I just took a blood test and my glucose level is normal. It's right in the middle of the range, so it's good. Does that mean I don't have diabetes right now? Or is a blood test not enough to determine that? Can a blood test show if you have prediabetes and how?
Answers: I just took a blood test and my glucose level is normal. It's right in the middle of the range, so it's good. Does that mean I don't have diabetes right now? Or is a blood test not enough to determine that? Can a blood test show if you have prediabetes and how?
Actually, a blood sugar is the recommended method to diagnose diabetes, some sources say that 3 glucose tests [a fasting blood sugar is the name of the test] on three different occasions is what needs to be done.
Yes, it can show pre-diabetes, but some doctors do not use that term. They think that being prediabetic is like being a little pregnant, it doesn't happen.
It is the range that the blood sugar falls in that makes the diagnosis. if it is in the lowest part of high, then doctor might use the term pre-diabetes. But mid and highest values in the high range are just that. Diabetes.
And yes, it probably means you do not have diabetes right now, if you fell into the middle of normal range.
The American Diabetes Association is a great site, easy to use, it has signs, symptoms, and treatments.
See,in a diabetic, the doctor has the patient not take in any calories over a period of time, generally 8 hours, then draws blood to see what the glucose[blood sugar] level is. In a diabetic, it will be high, even after no food intake for awhile. The doctor is looking to see what your body's response to not eating is.
There is a glucose tolerance test that is conducted after drinking a thick sweet liquid' however, a UA will show if there is sugar in the urine
If the doctor thinks that you might have blood sugar level problems then there are more tests that can be done. It is up to your doctor to interpret the test results for you, as we don't know anything about your particular case except that a test was done for some reason.
Here's a full explanation of a complete blood glucose test:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose_tol...
No one can answer your question until we know what type of test you had. I can think of three. GTT (as outlined above), HbA1C (lab test), and the finger prick test we diabetics do at home... an instant reading of blood glucose while fasting.
did you have the finger prick or the blood draw for the HbA1c??
finger prick
65 to 100 is normal
101 to 125 is prediabetes
over 126 is diabetes
HbA1c
under 6 is normal
6 to 6.5 is prediabetes
7 and up is diabetes
or have you been diagnosed as being diabetic? if so you are still diabetic but under very tight control.
The diagnosis of diabetes can only be given by a health care professional. Insulin in made in the pancreas by a small cell called islets of Langerhans. We are born with all of the islet cells we will ever have, we will never make more. These special cells make all of the insulin you will ever make. Although these cells make insulin, for what ever reason people who develope diabetes mellitus don't have enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels within range. In addition some people develope resistance to their own insulin. There are medications that can help to lower blood sugar. Oral hypoglycemics are pills that stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin. Insulin is administered through an injection and recently inhaled insulins have been made. Anyone who has diabetes mellitus will need to be followed by a physician. Diabetes requires frequentl blood sugar checks with a monitor and following a lowered sugar diet. Diabetes mellitus once was a death sentence but with a little effort those with this disease can live a full life free of complications if the blood sugars are maintained as close to normal as possible. Again, only a physician can determine if a person has any type of diabetes. Exercise and weight loss can help glucose levels tremendously. Some with insulin resistance can have normal levels with weight loss and food portion control. Good luck.