Fasting blood glucose is the first test used to diagnose diabetes, and diabetics can monitor their levels at home. Blood sugar levels can be affected by meals, exercise, and medication. An oral glucose tolerance test is also used to diagnose diabetes. High or low glucose levels can be dangerous, and monitoring can help control them. Random blood glucose testing checks levels at any time, while fasting glucose monitoring aims to control hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and diabetes.
Fasting blood glucose is a blood glucose measurement taken after you haven’t eaten food for at least 8 to 10 hours. A fasting blood glucose (FBS) test is usually the first type used when a doctor orders a test to diagnose diabetes. Diabetics can test their fasting glucose before breakfast with an at-home blood glucose monitor.
Most diabetics record their blood glucose readings at different times each day to track their overall glucose levels during any given week. In addition to a fasting blood sugar, two hours after a meal is another common time to check blood sugar levels. Many people with diabetes eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than three large ones to avoid causing large fluctuations in their blood sugars. Exercise can also affect blood sugar, usually causing it to drop. Fasting blood sugars should also be low since there is no food in the body.
During diabetes diagnostic procedures, doctors usually order an FBS test first before doing an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). While the FBS tests the body’s fasting glucose on an empty stomach, the OGTT measures its reaction after drinking a controlled amount of the sugary substance. The OGTT is usually performed several times to get an accurate result. A one-hour OGTT is routinely given to pregnant women to screen for gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy and typically presents as high blood sugar levels.
A state of high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia, while low glucose is hypoglycemia. Diabetics can experience a wide range of high to low sugar levels and this can be extremely dangerous. Dramatically low or high glucose levels can cause medical problems or even coma and death. Understanding how the body reacts to sugar intake and its fasting glucose level can help control wide blood sugar fluctuations for better health outcomes.
FBS and OGTT differ from random blood glucose testing (RBS). Unlike fasting glucose and sugar tolerance tests, the RBS checks blood sugars at any time. In non-diabetic people, blood sugar usually doesn’t fluctuate as much as it does in many diabetics. Normal blood sugar levels are often considered to be around 100ml or slightly higher. The goal of fasting glucose monitoring and other sugar testing is to better control hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and diabetes through awareness, diet, and/or medications.
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