How to Evaluate Fasting Blood Glucose Levels for Diabetes

A fasting blood glucose test measures your blood glucose levels after you have not eaten or had anything to drink for 12 to 14 hours. This test is one of the primary methods of diagnosing diabetes. Among non-diabetics, fasting causes hormones to be released that raise blood glucose levels, and those high blood glucose levels are then reduced though release of insulin, a hormone. In diabetics, the release of insulin does not cause blood glucose levels to return to a normal range. This test is very simple to carry out and evaluate.

Things You'll Need

• Blood glucose meter
• Test strip
• Lancet

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Fast for 12 to 14 hours, avoiding both food and beverages. It is most convenient for most people to take the test after they wake up in the morning.

• 2

  Wash your hands thoroughly in warm water to clean them of any contaminants and to stimulate blood flow.

• 3

  Insert the test strip into your blood glucose meter. The meter should automatically turn itself on.

• 4

  Puncture the side of your fingertip using a lancet.

• 5

  Wait a few seconds for a drop of blood to form at your fingertip.

• 6

  Touch the drop of blood to the test area on the testing strip, which will absorb the necessary amount of blood and begin the test.

• 7

  Wait for the blood glucose meter to display your blood glucose reading. It should only take a few seconds.

• 8

  Determine whether your blood sugar level is within a normal range. According to Diabetes Life, a normal fasting blood glucose level is between 70mg/dL and 100mg/dL. Below this level is considered hypoglycemic. According to the National Institutes of Health, a reading between 100mg/dL and 126mg/dL shows that you are pre-diabetic. A reading higher than 126mg/dL is considered to indicate diabetes.

• 9

  Wash your punctured finger and apply a bandage if necessary.

• 10

  Discard the testing strip and lancet.