Diabetes more tests_diagnosis

Diabetes Screening Tests One of the ways to screen for diabetes in symptomless individuals is to measure blood sugar levels after fasting; more than 126 milligrams of blood sugar per deciliter of blood (126 mg/dL) is considered an abnormal value. Another way to screen for or further diagnose diabetes is to give an oral glucose tolerance test. A series of blood samples is taken before and after swallowing a liquid that contains glucose. A blood-sugar reading that remains at or above 200 mg/dL two hours after drinking the glucose solution indicates inadequate production of insulin and, therefore, diabetes. Values between 127 and 199 mg/dL indicate a "glucose intolerance" state. Glucose levels have to be abnormal on more than one occasion before a diagnosis of glucose intolerance or diabetes is made. Most persons detected with abnormal glucose tolerance do not proceed to frank diabetes, especially if they pay attention to maintaining recommended weight, diet and exercise. The most accurate diagnostic test of whether diabetes is truly active or to gauge how well any therapy is proceeding is measurement of glycosylated hemoglobin (Hemoglobin A-1C) or similar glycosylated proteins such as fructosamine. These tests are important because they accurately reflect the effects of high blood sugar levels resulting in glucose binding to blood vessel proteins, where much of the damage caused by diabetes occurs. Furthermore, since blood glucose levels fluctuate during any day, they are a better indication of how high average blood sugar has been over several weeks preceeding the test. They are not, however, suitable as screening tests.