Your blood glucose levels can help provide insight into your risk of developing diabetes. People with high blood glucose have trouble using insulin, a pancreatic hormone which is responsible for activating the ability of muscle, fat and liver cells to pull glucose out of the blood. One of the standard tests used to screen for diabetes is the fasting blood glucose level, which is measured in the morning.
Blood Glucose Testing
In general blood glucose testing is done with a small amount of blood obtained from a finger prick, LabTestsOnline explains. Typically, the blood is put on a small strip of paper which has chemicals which will react with the amount of glucose in the blood. The strip can then be placed into a special meter which can interpret the results of this chemical reaction to determine the amount of glucose in the blood.
Morning Testing
Blood glucose measurements taken soon after you have woken up are especially important as a screening test. This allows doctors to measure a number known as your fasting blood glucose, which is the amount of glucose in your blood when you haven't eaten for an extended period of time. When you eat, your blood glucose levels rise, but the amount of this increase can vary depending on the type and amount of food you eat. Measuring fasting blood glucose eliminates this additional variable.
Results
Blood glucose levels are usually measured in terms of mg of glucose per dL of blood, MedLinePlus explains. Normal fasting blood glucose levels are under 100 mg per dL of blood. Levels between 100 and 125 are indicative of impaired fasting glucose, which is also termed pre-diabetes. People with poorly controlled diabetes typically have fasting glucose number upwards of 125 mg of glucose per dL.
Glucose Tolerance Test
Another test which can be used along with fasting blood glucose levels to screen for diabetes is called the oral glucose tolerance test. After the patient's fasting blood glucose numbers are determined, the patient is given a standard amount of glucose, often in the form of a sugary drink. The patient's blood glucose levels are then measured at various time points after the drink was consumed to see how the body responds to the influx of glucose. This test is important because it helps determine how well the body responds to the rise in insulin which typically follows ingestion of sugars or carbohydrates.
Pre-Diabetes Treatment
People who have impaired fasting blood glucose or do poorly on the oral glucose tolerance test can improve the way their body responds to sugar. Losing weight and beginning an exercise program can allow people with poor fasting blood glucose numbers to lower fasting glucose results, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders explains. There are also medications which can be used to help the body produce more insulin and to respond more effectively to the insulin which is produced.
