According to WHO diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose which leads to the passage of time to damage to heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. Diagnosing tests for prediabetes and diabetes is very important in this regard. I will be discussing these diagnosing tests in this article.
The most common type of diabetes is type 2 which is also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Type 1 is a chronic condition in which the body fails to produce sufficient amount of insulin.
422 million people
Almost 422 million people worldwide have diabetes. Mostly low and middle-income countries have more diabetic patients. Diabetes is the leading cause of death in the world.
Do I need a diagnostic test for diabetes?
You should need a diagnostic test for prediabetes and diabetes if you are
Overweight (Age over 45 years)
Facing additional risk such as
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Family History of Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes (Diabetes during pregnancy)
Diagnostic Test Frequency
A person with normal blood glucose but falls in the above risk factors should be tested every three years.
Prediabetic should be tested for diabetes every one to two years.
Diagnostic Test for Prediabetes and Diabetes
There are three types of a diagnostic test which are commonly used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes.
HbA1C (Glycosylated hemoglobin test)
The Glycosylated hemoglobin or A1C test is major diagnostic prediabetes and diabetes. It measures your average blood glucose control for the past three months. This test is more convenient because no fasting is required.
Range
5.7 percent to 6.4 = Prediabetes
6.5 percent or higher = Diabetes
Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG)
A fasting plasma glucose test requirement includes fasting (nothing to eat or drink except water) for eight hours before the test.
To conduct this test, the pathologist draws blood from the patient. Then the plasma (the fluid part of the blood) is combined with some chemical to determine the amount of glucose in the plasma, which is measured in mg/dL.
The following below contains the FPG test’s blood glucose ranges for prediabetes and diabetes.
100-125 mg/dL = Prediabetes
126 mg/dL or more = Diabetes
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)
This test calculates how good the body digest a standard amount of glucose.
To perform this test, the pathologist will draw blood before and two hours after you drink a known amount of glucose drink. Then, your doctor can compare the before-and-after glucose levels contained in your plasma to see how well your body digests the sugar. These levels are measured in mg/dL.
Below mentioned the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) ranges for prediabetes and diabetes.
140-199 mg/dL = Prediabetes
200 mg/dL or above = Diabetes
Learn more about Diabetes.