Diagnostic tests to confirm (or deny) presence of diabetes

I’m Deborah Susan, a dietician and personal trainer specializing in nutrition and physical fitness for diabetics. Today I will write on diagnostic tests you can take to confirm (or deny) presence of diabetes.

Diagnostic tests to confirm (or deny) presence of diabetes

The most common tests are the urine and finger prick test. However, to be doubly sure, you need to conduct at least two or three lab tests including random or fasting blood glucose test meter and oral glucose tolerance tests. If test results are positive, it is a good idea to redo the tests on another randomly selected day.

Finger prick test. A finger is pricked with a sterilized device and a tiny drop of blood is collected and placed on a accu-chek active test strips. The strip is inserted into a digital diabetic test strip and an instant readout is obtained. This test takes less than a minute.

Urine test A chemical coated dipstick is dipped into a ‘sample bottle’ that contains a sample of your urine. The dipstick instantly changes color in proportion to the level of glucose in the urine. This test too takes less than a minute.

Random blood glucose test A diabetic syringes is used to collect a small sample of your blood which is then analyzed in a lab. The results are often delivered the following day.

Oral glucose tolerance test You are requested not to eat or drink anything in the morning. A small blood sample is taken and sent for analysis to a laboratory. You are again requested to visit the clinic one hour after having lunch and fresh sample of blood is collected for analysis. The two pre and post results indicate your glucose tolerance level. A low tolerance level could indicate that you either have Type 2 diabetes or are on the verge of developing it.

Fasting Blood Sugar Testing Your last drink and meal should be at least 8 hours prior to taking this test. An insulin syringes is used to collect a tiny blood sample which is sent to the lab for analysis. The test results are usually received the same evening or following morning.

If all the above test results are returned positive for presence of excessive glucose, I recommend you redo the test the following week preferably at a different clinic. If the second test set too returns similar results than you can be sure you do have diabetes. Typically, glucose above 6 millimoles / liter of blood is not normal and you should consult your doctor immediately.

If diabetes is confirmed, it would be a good idea to also run a checkup on your body fat percentage through body fat monitor, blood pressure by automatic blood pressure monitor, kidneys, liver and thyroid. Additionally you should undergo a foot examination (for circulation and nerve supply) and eye examination (check for any damage due to glucose buildup).

This article concludes information I had to impart on the pre-diabetic stage. My next article shall deal with post-confirmation stage i.e. monitoring your blood glucose levels by blood glucose monitors at home and how to take care of your diabetes.

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