If there’s one thing about diabetes that you need to be alert about, it is getting an early diagnosis. The earlier the diagnosis, the better would be your chance at managing the symptoms and leading a comfortable life with minimal complications.
Irrespective of whether you have diabetes or not, getting a routine blood glucose test is crucial for every person above the age of 35.
How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?
Diabetes diagnosis is commonly done with blood tests. There are a few that offer a better estimation of the type of diabetes, the severity and in deciding the next step, which is treatment.
Following are the most common types of tests used for the diagnosis of diabetes:
Type of Test | What it is? | Normal range | Diabetes |
Fasting plasma glucose test | Measures the blood glucose levels from blood sample collected when the patient is in fasting state. | Less than 100 mg/dL | 126 mg/dL or higher |
A1C test | Measures the average blood glucose level over 2-3 months. Analyzes the presence of glucose molecules attached to the blood’s hemoglobin. | Less than 5.7% | 6.5% or up |
Random glucose test | Analyzes the blood glucose level at a random point of time during the day | Less than 140 mg/dL | 200 mg/dL or higher |
Oral glucose tolerance test | Patient’s fasting blood glucose is measured. They are given a sugary drink and then the blood glucose is measured at regular intervals after that for 2-3 times. | Less than 140 mg/dL | 200 mg/dL or higher |
Who Should Be Tested for Diabetes?
Any and every individual who is experiencing potential symptoms of diabetes should get tested. Even if you aren’t experiencing any off-beat symptom that is indicative of diabetes, get tested without any second thoughts.
Also, people above the age of 35 years should get tested every 3-6 months as a precaution, irrespective of the symptoms or associated risk factors.
