Untreated cases of diabetes lead to major health problems. Complications like heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage arise when a diabetes patient does not take the right medication. Hospitals and clinics perform numerous tests to ensure the right diagnosis of diabetes. Take a look below and learn about these major tests.
#A1C test
This test is specific to determining an individual’s average blood sugar level. When the diagnosis falls into 5.7%, it is indicative that your sugar levels are normal. When it falls between 5.7 and 6.4, chances are that you have prediabetes, and any figure above 6.4% points to diabetes.
#Fasting blood sugar test
This test is usually carried out to diagnose diabetes by determining the blood sugar levels after an overnight fast. It is pretty normal to have a blood sugar level of 99 mg/dL. When the number shows between 100-125 mg/dL, chances are that you have prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL and above imply the patient has diabetes.
#Glucose tolerance test
The objective of the test is to determine the blood sugar before and after drinking a glucose-powered liquid. To take the test, the patent is asked to fast overnight. As he/she reaches the clinic, blood is drawn to check the blood sugar levels. Then the patient is offered a glucose drink and the sugar level is checked at the intervals of 1, 2, and 3 hours. During the time frame of 2 hours, if the number shows 140 mg/dL, it indicates that the patient is healthy. A diagnosis between 140 to 199 shows signs of prediabetes, and higher numbers point to diabetes.
#Cholesterol test
Diabetic patients are more prone to heart diseases than other people. Taking regular blood tests to determine cholesterol levels is imperative to keep their health in check.
