Introduction

The Importance of Early Diagnosis

Diabetes is often a silent disease, which usually causes either no or only minor symptoms until blood glucose levels become dangerously high. Making an early diagnosis is necessary to prevent long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, neuropathy and vision loss.

Physicians have specific blood tests to document diabetes and prediabetes precisely. Knowing and better understanding these blood tests will put some control of your health into your hands before speaking with a healthcare professional.

Testing for Diabetes

• Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) Test

1. The fasting blood sugar test checks your glucose level after fasting overnight (8 hours).
2. Normal: Less than 100 mg/dL
3. Prediabetes: 100-125 mg/dL
4. Diabetes: 126 mg/dL or more (two tests recommended)
5. This is one of the first tests your doctor may order.

• Random Blood Sugar (RBS) Test

1. The random blood sugar test can be performed anytime, with or without eating beforehand.
2. mg/dL or more indicates diabetes, particularly if patient has symptoms consistent with diabetes (thirst, frequent urination, fatigue).

• Generally used as a screening.

1. HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin) test.
2. The glycated hemoglobin test checks your average blood sugar concentrations over the past 2-3 months, and does not require fasting.
3. Normal: Less than 5.7%
4. Prediabetes: 5.7% - 6.4%
5. Diabetes: 6.5% or above
6. The glycated hemoglobin test is also a gold standard test for monitoring purposes.

• Tests results (2 hour):

1. Normal: less than 140 mg/dL
2. Prediabetes: 140 - 199 mg/dL
3. Diabetes: 200 mg/dL or greater
4. This test is used to commonly screen for gestational diabetes in pregnant women.

When Should I Get Tested?

1. You should consider testing if you:
2. Are over the age of 35,
3. overweight/obesity,
4. family history of diabetes,
5. family medicinal history of high cholesterol and high blood pressure,
6. previous gestational diabetes history,
7. AND if you have excess thirst, urination, fatigue, or blurry vision.
8. Your healthcare team may recommend testing regularly every 1-3 years, based on risk.

After the Diagnosis: Now What?

• If you are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes:
• Your doctor will run through treatment options, discuss lifestyle changes, and possibly starting medication, or insulin as needed.
• Your doctor will monitor you with blood tests, regularly, to maintain your progress.
• Early intervention will not only put diabetes/diabetes complications in your future and help you live life as normal or active, as before.

To Summarize:

Learning what tests are used for diabetes testing will allow you more power over your health.

If you have risk factors or symptoms, do not wait!

A diagnosis of diabetes early in its time of onset is life-saving.

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