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You are here : 3-RX.com > Medical Encyclopedia > Diseases and Conditions > Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis & Tests
      Category : Health Centers > Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus

Alternate Names : Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus | Symptoms & Signs | Diagnosis & Tests | Prevention & Expectations | Treatment & Monitoring

How is the disease diagnosed?

A doctor may suspect diabetes after taking a person's health history and doing a physical exam. Based on those results, the doctor may want to check for a high glucose level in the blood. There are several types of blood tests doctors can use to diagnose diabetes, including:

  • fasting plasma glucose test, which is the most common method to diagnose most cases of diabetes. In this test, a person is asked to fast overnight for at least 8 hours. In the morning, the level of glucose in the blood is then checked. Healthy fasting plasma glucose levels are less than 110 milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL. A fasting plasma glucose level of more than 126 mg/dL usually suggests diabetes. Levels between 110 and 126 mg/dL are seen in pre-diabetes.
  • oral glucose tolerance test which is the preferred way to diagnose gestational diabetes. It can also be used to diagnose type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. In this test, a person is asked to drink a sweet liquid. Blood samples are then drawn at timed intervals. If a person does not have diabetes, the glucose levels will rise and then fall quickly after drinking the sweet liquid. When a person has diabetes, glucose levels will rise higher and fail to come down as fast as those in a person without diabetes. If the blood glucose level is 140 to 199 mg/dL 2 hours after drinking the liquid, a diagnosis of pre-diabetes can be made.
  • plasma glucose test, which can be done without fasting and is used as a screening tool. A level of 200 mg/dL or higher suggests diabetes. If the level is above 200 mg/dL, a fasting glucose test or oral glucose tolerance test can be done to confirm the diagnosis of diabetes.

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    Diabetes Mellitus: Symptoms & Signs

     

    Diabetes Mellitus: Prevention & Expectations

    Author: Eileen McLaughlin, RN, BSN
    Reviewer: Kathleen A. MacNaughton, RN, BSN
    Date Reviewed: 06/01/02



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