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Fasting Glucose Levels

If you are at risk of developing diabetes, your doctor will use a fasting glucose test to make a diagnosis. Understanding these tests and the results will help you and your health-care professional decide which changes, if any, need to be made to improve your health.

  1. The Importance of Fasting

    • Doctors use fasting tests to get the most accurate reading of your blood's glucose levels. If you have just eaten something containing a lot of sugar or carbohydrates, your levels will likely be higher than normal and provide an inaccurate diagnosis.

    Glucose Test

    • The most commonly used test is a simple glucose check using a small amount of blood from your finger. The results are calculated in seconds, and the test can be done in the doctor's office. This is the same test you would do at home to check your glucose levels.

    Glucose Test Results

    • Acceptable levels for this test after fasting are between 70 and 110mg/dL. A reading of more than 140mg/dL during two separate tests completed while you are fasting confirms you have diabetes.

    Glucose Tolerance Test

    • When your physician wants to see how well your body handles sugar, she may ask you to complete a glucose-tolerance test, which is done in a laboratory setting. The technician will test your blood sugar after you have fasted for 10 to 16 hours. You will then drink a sugary beverage, and the technician will test your blood sugar two to four more times at intervals of 30 to 60 minutes.

    Test Results

    • After two hours, the glucose readings should be 110mg/dL or less. If the results are higher than 200mg/dL, diabetes is the most common diagnosis. However, your doctor may want to repeat the test to confirm the initial results.

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