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Diabetes can be diagnosed through blood tests carried out in pathology labs and health clinics. The tests offer an accurate measurement of glucose levels in the blood, which are also known as blood sugar levels. A small percentage of individuals with diabetes are asymptomatic; hence, it is vital to get yourself tested if you have risk factors that are known to cause the disease.
Who Should Be Tested For Diabetes?
According to the recommendations by the American Diabetes Association, blood tests for diabetes must be carried out in any individual displaying symptoms that are mentioned below:
- Excessive thirst
- A sense of tiredness all the time
- Hunger, even after consuming food
- Blurry vision
- Urinating more often
- Having sores or cuts that heal with difficulty
When it comes to asymptomatic individuals, testing must begin at the age of 45 and, subsequently, after every three years.
Diagnostic tests should be conducted earlier in adult individuals who are obese or overweight and those who exhibit any of the following risk factors:
- A sibling or parent with diabetes
- Physical inactivity
- Women having gestational diabetes or those who have given birth to a child weighing in excess of 9 pounds
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) level that is ≤35 mg/dL
- Triglyceride level that is ≥250 mg/dL
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance (which are signs of pre-diabetes) in previous blood-glucose tests
- History of cardiovascular disease
Children And Adolescents
When it comes to children and adolescents, tests for type 2 diabetes must be considered for those exhibiting symptoms or those who are overweight and have at least two of the below-mentioned risk factors:
- Type 2 diabetes occurring in a first- or second-degree relative of the family
- Symptoms of pre-diabetes, such as skin pigmentation (acanthosis nigricans), high blood pressure, elevated levels of triglycerides and/or cholesterol (dyslipidemia), or PCOS
- Mother with a known history of gestational diabetes or diabetes
Testing in children must begin at the age of 10 or when the child has entered puberty. This testing must be repeated every three years.
How Is Diabetes Diagnosed?
Mentioned below are the types of blood tests that are used to diagnose diabetes. Generally, diabetes is diagnosed when the test results are positive on two distinct and separate days.
Tests Used To Diagnose Diabetes
Glycated Haemoglobin (A1C) Test: This blood test does not require fasting and indicates your average blood glucose levels for the past 2-3 months. It effectively measures the percentage of blood glucose attached to haemoglobin. An A1C level exceeding 6.5% on two distinct, separate tests is a good indicator for diabetes. An A1C between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates that you have prediabetes.
Random Blood Sugar Test: In this test, a blood sample will be collected at a random time. Regardless of when you ate your last meal, a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates that you have diabetes.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Before this test, you need to fast overnight. The fasting blood glucose level is measured in this test. After blood is drawn, you need to consume a sugary liquid, following which blood glucose levels are tested at regular intervals for the next couple of hours. Blood sugar levels less than 140 mg/dL are normal. A value of more than 200 mg/dL after 2 hours is an indicator of diabetes. A reading that falls between 140 mg/dL and 199 mg/dL is an indicator of prediabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes
To diagnose type 1 diabetes, your urine sample will be tested to check for the presence of a byproduct that is produced when muscles and fats are used for the production of energy because the body does not have sufficient insulin to utilise the available glucose. Your doctor may also ask you to undergo a test to detect destructive immune system cells (autoantibodies).
To diagnose gestational diabetes, two screening tests are used: (1) Initial glucose challenge test and (2) Follow-up glucose tolerance testing.
This concludes the writeup on who should be tested for diabetes and how is diabetes diagnosed.
