The glucose tolerance test checks blood glucose levels for gestational or type 2 diabetes. The patient fasts for 8 hours, drinks a glucose solution, and has blood drawn. Results are compared to normal levels and can indicate diabetes or other health problems. Results can be affected by illness, stress, or medications.
The glucose tolerance test is a blood test used to check blood glucose levels to screen for gestational or type 2 diabetes. The test involves a period of fasting, then ingesting a quantity of glucose. The blood glucose level is tested one or more times after the glucose has been ingested. An individual’s results are compared to predicted numbers. If your glucose tolerance test results show a blood glucose level that is not in line with acceptable levels, it indicates the possibility of diabetes or other health problems.
To prepare for the blood glucose test, the patient should maintain a normal diet and daily schedule for about a week before the test. He or she must then fast for at least eight hours immediately before the test. The patient also must not drink anything during those eight hours.
How the test is administered depends on whether a person is being tested for type 2 diabetes or for gestational diabetes. Testing for type 2 diabetes involves drawing blood once, two hours after the patient drinks a sugary drink containing a measured amount of glucose. When testing for gestational diabetes, which is the type of diabetes that can occur during pregnancy, blood is drawn at least once and may be drawn several times over a period of hours after the glucose solution has been swallowed .
To interpret glucose tolerance test results, blood test results are compared to levels considered to be within the normal range. Normal levels for a non-pregnant person are 140 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter), and for a pregnant woman it is about 95 mg/dL. Two hours after drinking the solution, glucose tolerance test results should be less than 200 mg/dL in the type 2 diabetes test and 155 mg/dL when screening for gestational diabetes. These values may differ slightly between doctors or laboratories, but are generally considered to be good average results.
When your glucose tolerance test results show higher than average numbers, it could be an indicator of diabetes, which requires further diagnostic testing. Glucose tolerance test results can also be affected by illness, stress, or medications. These factors also need to be taken into consideration when interpreting test results, as they can lead to abnormal levels even if no medical problems are present. Results above normal levels can also indicate other diseases in addition to diabetes, also requiring further diagnostic tests and a thorough review of the patient’s history.
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