Glucose test

Last updated
Glucose test
Purposeestimate blood sugar levels

Many types of glucose tests exist and they can be used to estimate blood sugar levels at a given time or, over a longer period of time, to obtain average levels or to see how fast the body is able to normalize changed glucose levels. Eating food for example leads to elevated blood sugar levels. In healthy people, these levels quickly return to normal via increased cellular glucose uptake which is primarily mediated by increase in blood insulin levels.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Glucose tests can reveal temporary/long-term hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. These conditions may not have obvious symptoms and can damage organs in the long-term. Abnormally high/low levels, slow return to normal levels from either of these conditions and/or inability to normalize blood sugar levels means that the person being tested probably has some kind of medical condition like type 2 diabetes which is caused by cellular insensitivity to insulin. Glucose tests are thus often used to diagnose such conditions.

Testing methods

Tests that can be performed at home are used in blood glucose monitoring for illnesses that have already been diagnosed medically so that these illnesses can be maintained via medication and meal timing. Some of the home testing methods include[ citation needed ]

Laboratory tests are often used to diagnose illnesses and such methods include

Some laboratory tests don't measure glucose levels directly from body fluids or tissues but still indicate elevated blood sugar levels. Such tests measure the levels of glycated hemoglobin, other glycated proteins, 1,5-anhydroglucitol etc. from blood. [1]

Use in medical diagnosis

Glucose testing can be used to diagnose or indicate certain medical conditions.[ citation needed ]

High blood sugar may indicate

Low blood sugar may indicate

Preparing for testing

Fasting prior to glucose testing may be required with some test types. Fasting blood sugar test, for example, requires 10–16 hour-long period of not eating before the test. [1]

Blood sugar levels can be affected by some drugs and prior to some glucose tests these medications should be temporarily given up or their dosages should be decreased. Such drugs may include salicylates (Aspirin), birth control pills, corticosteroids, tricyclic antidepressants, lithium, diuretics and phenytoin.[ medical citation needed ]

Some foods contain caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, energy drinks etc.). Blood sugar levels of healthy people are generally not significantly changed by caffeine, but in diabetics caffeine intake may elevate these levels via its ability to stimulate the adrenergic nervous system. [4]

Reference ranges

Fasting blood sugar

A level below 5.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) 10–16 hours without eating is normal. 5.6–6 mmol/L (100–109 mg/dL) may indicate prediabetes and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) should be offered to high-risk individuals (old people, those with high blood pressure etc.). 6.1–6.9 mmol/L (110–125 mg/dL) means OGTT should be offered even if other indicators of diabetes are not present. 7 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) and above indicates diabetes and the fasting test should be repeated. [5]

Glucose tolerance test

Postprandial glucose test

Random glucose test

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypoglycemia</span> Decrease in blood sugar

Hypoglycemia, also spelled hypoglycaemia or hypoglycæmia, sometimes called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), symptoms associated with hypoglycemia, and resolution of symptoms when blood sugar returns to normal. Hypoglycemia may result in headache, tiredness, clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, fast heart rate, sweating, shakiness, nervousness, hunger, loss of consciousness, seizures, or death. Symptoms typically come on quickly.

Insulin resistance (IR) is a pathological condition in which cells in insulin-sensitive tissues in the body fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin or downregulate insulin receptors in response to hyperinsulinemia.

The following is a glossary of diabetes which explains terms connected with diabetes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glucose tolerance test</span> Medical test of how quickly glucose is cleared from the blood

The glucose tolerance test is a medical test in which glucose is given and blood samples taken afterward to determine how quickly it is cleared from the blood. The test is usually used to test for diabetes, insulin resistance, impaired beta cell function, and sometimes reactive hypoglycemia and acromegaly, or rarer disorders of carbohydrate metabolism. In the most commonly performed version of the test, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), a standard dose of glucose is ingested by mouth and blood levels are checked two hours later. Many variations of the GTT have been devised over the years for various purposes, with different standard doses of glucose, different routes of administration, different intervals and durations of sampling, and various substances measured in addition to blood glucose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperglycemia</span> Too much blood sugar, usually because of diabetes

Hyperglycemia or hyperglycaemia is a condition where unusually high amount of glucose is present in blood. It is defined as blood glucose level exceeding 6.9 mmol/L after fasting for 8 hours and 10 mmol/L 2 hours after eating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 2 diabetes</span> Form of diabetes mellitus

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and unexplained weight loss. Other symptoms include increased hunger, having a sensation of pins and needles, and sores (wounds) that heal slowly. Symptoms often develop slowly. Long-term complications from high blood sugar include heart disease, stroke, diabetic retinopathy, which can result in blindness, kidney failure, and poor blood flow in the lower-limbs, which may lead to amputations. The sudden onset of hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state may occur; however, ketoacidosis is uncommon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood sugar level</span> Concentration of glucose present in the blood (Glycaemia)

The blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, blood glucose level, or glycemia is the measure of glucose concentrated in the blood. The body tightly regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gestational diabetes</span> High blood sugar levels during pregnancy

Gestational diabetes is a condition in which a woman without diabetes develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes generally results in few symptoms; however, obesity increases the rate of pre-eclampsia, cesarean sections, and embryo macrosomia, as well as gestational diabetes. Babies born to individuals with poorly treated gestational diabetes are at increased risk of macrosomia, of having hypoglycemia after birth, and of jaundice. If untreated, diabetes can also result in stillbirth. Long term, children are at higher risk of being overweight and of developing type 2 diabetes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insulinoma</span> Tumor of the pancreas which secretes insulin

An insulinoma is a tumour of the pancreas that is derived from beta cells and secretes insulin. It is a rare form of a neuroendocrine tumour. Most insulinomas are benign in that they grow exclusively at their origin within the pancreas, but a minority metastasize. Insulinomas are one of the functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour (PNET) group. In the Medical Subject Headings classification, insulinoma is the only subtype of "islet cell adenoma".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperinsulinism</span> Excess insulin in the blood

Hyperinsulinism refers to an above normal level of insulin in the blood of a person or animal. Normal insulin secretion and blood levels are closely related to the level of glucose in the blood, so that a given level of insulin can be normal for one blood glucose level but low or high for another. Hyperinsulinism can be associated with several types of medical problems, which can be roughly divided into two broad and largely non-overlapping categories: those tending toward reduced sensitivity to insulin and high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia), and those tending toward excessive insulin secretion and low glucose levels (hypoglycemia).

Glycated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin (Hb) that is chemically linked to a sugar.

Steroid-induced diabetes is characterized as an unusual rise in blood sugar that is linked to the use of glucocorticoids in a patient who may or may not have had diabetes in the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactive hypoglycemia</span> Medical condition

Reactive hypoglycemia, postprandial hypoglycemia, or sugar crash is a term describing recurrent episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurring within four hours after a high carbohydrate meal in people with and without diabetes. The term is not necessarily a diagnosis since it requires an evaluation to determine the cause of the hypoglycemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 1 diabetes</span> Form of diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that occurs when pancreatic cells are destroyed by the body's immune system. In healthy persons, beta cells produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone required by the body to store and convert blood sugar into energy. T1D results in high blood sugar levels in the body prior to treatment. Common symptoms include frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, weight loss, and other complications. Additional symptoms may include blurry vision, tiredness, and slow wound healing. While some cases take longer, symptoms usually appear within weeks or a few months.

The main goal of diabetes management is to keep blood glucose (BG) levels as normal as possible. If diabetes is not well controlled, further challenges to health may occur. People with diabetes can measure blood sugar by various methods, such as with a BG meter or a continuous glucose monitor, which monitors over several days. Glucose can also be measured by analysis of a routine blood sample. Usually, people are recommended to control diet, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight, although some people may need medications to control their blood sugar levels. Other goals of diabetes management are to prevent or treat complications that can result from the disease itself and from its treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impaired fasting glucose</span> Medical condition

Impaired fasting glucose is a type of prediabetes, in which a person's blood sugar levels during fasting are consistently above the normal range, but below the diagnostic cut-off for a formal diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Together with impaired glucose tolerance, it is a sign of insulin resistance. In this manner, it is also one of the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prediabetes</span> Predisease state of hyperglycemia with high risk for diabetes

Prediabetes is a component of metabolic syndrome and is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that fall below the threshold to diagnose diabetes mellitus. It usually does not cause symptoms but people with prediabetes often have obesity, dyslipidemia with high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. It is also associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Prediabetes is more accurately considered an early stage of diabetes as health complications associated with type 2 diabetes often occur before the diagnosis of diabetes.

Dysglycemia is a general definition for any abnormalities in blood glucose levels. They include hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance test, impaired fasting glucose, among others.

Oxyhyperglycemia is a special type of impaired glucose tolerance characterized by a rapid and transient hyperglycemia spike after an oral intake of glucose, the peak of this spike being high enough to cause transient, symptom free glycosuria, but this hyperglycemia reverses rapidly and may even go to hypoglycemia in the later phase. This sharp downstroke overshooting towards hypoglycemia distinguishes this pathologic phenomenon from the artificial hyperglycemia inducible by an intravenous bolus dose of a large amount of glucose solution. Early dumping syndrome patients usually have oxyhyperglycemia associated with any meal or OGTT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetes</span> Group of endocrine diseases characterized by high blood sugar levels

Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin, or the cells of the body becoming unresponsive to the hormone's effects. Classic symptoms include polydipsia, polyuria, weight loss, and blurred vision. If left untreated, the disease can lead to various health complications, including disorders of the cardiovascular system, eye, kidney, and nerves. Diabetes accounts for approximately 4.2 million deaths every year, with an estimated 1.5 million caused by either untreated or poorly treated diabetes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Khatib, Oussama MN (2006). Guidelines for the prevention, management and care of diabetes mellitus. World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. pp. 30, 37. ISBN   9789290214045. OCLC   76821700.
  2. MedlinePlus Encyclopedia : Glucose tolerance test
  3. "Is the glucose test during pregnancy optional? - Today's Parent". Today's Parent. 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  4. "How Does Coffee Affect Your Blood Sugar?". WebMD. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
  5. "Diabetes – tests and diagnosis". Archived from the original on 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2013-12-21.