Blood Test for Pre Diabetes
Blood tests employed for diagnosis diabetes are also utilized for diagnosis prediabetes. For prediabetes, your health care provider may suggest one of three tests which could be a fasting blood glucose test, an oral glucose tolerance test or a hemoglobin AIC (HbAIC) blood test.
The time a hemoglobin A1C blood test is taken matters not. There is no need to fast either. The result gives an average indication of your blood sugar levels for the last three months.
For the oral glucose tolerance test, blood is drawn a number of times to determine the blood sugar levels. The first blood sugar levels are checked after a night’s fast. After this first test, you are required to take a glucose drink. Two hours after the glucose drink, blood is again drawn to check the possible increase in blood sugar levels. This test is called a glucose challenge. The glucose drink will result in some increase in blood sugar with these high levels falling fast in non-diabetics. However, for those with diabetes or prediabetes, the sugar levels go up exceedingly high or drop slowly, causing the blood sugar levels to be too high throughout the glucose challenge.
For a fasting glucose test, the patient has to fast for a minimum eight hours. Since fasting during sleeping hours is easier, most patients wish for the test to be performed in the morning.
Let us see how diagnosis is derived at in the three tests. (Note: = milligram per deciliter = mg/dL)
Hemoglobin A1C Test
- 6.5% or more is diagnosed as diabetes.
- From 5.7% – 6.4%, it is pre-diabetes.
- 5.6% or lower is normal.
see What is A1C Test For Diabetic ?
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)
- 200 mg/dL or above is diagnosed as diabetes. (see Newly Diagnose With Diabetes)
- From 140 mg/dL – 199 mg/dl indicates pre-diabetes.
- Lower than 140 mg/dL is normal.
Fasting Glucose Test
- 126 mg/dL or above is diagnosed as diabetes.
- From 100 – 125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes.
- Lower than 100 mg/dL is normal.
see Blood Glucose Test – Results Explained
Monitoring Pre-diabetes – Video Guide
From Pre-diabetes to Diabetes
After you get blood sugar levels that indicate pre-diabetes, the sugar levels can either go down once again to its normal range,( see Blood Glucose Target Range) stay a little higher than normal or jump even higher to the levels indicating a diagnosis of diabetes. According to research, about 10 percent of those diagnosed with pre-diabetes will have full-blown diabetes within twelve months. The movement of pre-diabetes back to normal blood sugar levels or toward diabetes depends upon how well you can stop the progress of insulin resistance. Diabetes can be prevented with a more healthy diet and appropriate exercises. However, if such necessary lifestyle changes are not put in place, it is just a matter of time before diabetes happens and medication is a necessity to control blood sugar levels.
see  Blood Glucose Monitoring.
Prognosis
As mentioned above, approximately ten percent of pre-diabetes cases will suffer Type 2 diabetes in just twelve months. According to studies made, the possibility of you getting type 2 diabetes throughout your existence is about 70 %.
As depressing as it may sound, type 2 diabetes can be delayed, if not prevented, through healthy lifestyle habits such as a balanced diet and sufficient exercise. Studies have proved that a reduction of 5% – 7% weight as well as half an hour’s exercise each day can lower diabetes risk by approximately 60 % for the three years.
The possibility of suffering from heart disease is greater with diagnosis prediabetes, although it has not yet reached the stage of diabetes. Of course, with diabetes diagnosed, your risk goes higher for stroke and heart disease. With diabetes comes complications like kidney failure, blindness, foot ulcers, problems arising from sluggish circulation, and nerve damage. With knowledge of such complications, it is obvious the necessity for better health.