What test concludes the presence/absence of diabetes?

[Writeman]

Having said that people with sedentary lives, family history of diabetes and those who are obese need to get checked for diabetes, the next question that arises is:

What test confirms the presence/absence of diabetes?

[jimmys devoted]

there is still in teh arsenel of medial tests a series of glucose tests for the absolute confirmation of diabetes.
It begins with a fasting blood glucose, Insulin level, CBC and differential. A complete Urine test as well.
From there, in office Blood glucose test is done. This is your base.
Then you are given a glucose solution to drink. It's concentrated glucose. A pull is done at 15, 30, 45 and 1 hour.
Then a two hour pull.
You are then given a specific meal to eat.
Again glucose tests are done at 45, 1 and 2 hours along with urine tests including Ketones and proteins

you are then told what to eat at a specific time and blood is once again tested.urine tests including Ketones and proteins

Then usually the next test you come back after a day of eatingyour noarml diet. Of which you have documented what yuo ate and approximate sizes.
Your glucose is tested again. a;long with urine tests.

After all of this information is gatheerd a TREND can be seen, yits easy to tell which area you fall in. If you ahve a very low insulin level from teh first lab work then you could be considered type 1. If it falls in a certain range then type 2.

These are absolute confirmation of diabetes.
It also rules out Diabetes insipidus.

Julia

[Belfrybat]

The nurse practitioner I go to does a fasting blood sugar and insulin and a HbA1c test every 6 months. She has not suggested the longer glucose test you described as my fasting levels are under 125 without meds, and between 95-100 with Metformin. Should I ask for the longer test you describe? I don't have insurance, so that might be one reason she has not pushed a lot of other tests as she knows I would have trouble affording them. I also check my own blood sugar several times a week both fasting and 2 hr. postprandial.

[Serra]

IMO, as just a normal person with no formal training, I'd say there is no need for the longer test. The results don't really matter. If you are having BG control issues, that's all you really need to know. If you are monitoring your BG and your A1c, then what can the longer test tell you? Nothing you don't already know.

I've never taken the longer test, for me it would be a waste of time.

[jimmys devoted]

For some the OGGT or teh GTT may not be needed. But for many it is needed simply because of the ontiuned failuer to biong levels into line.
THe AMA, ADA, UK guidelines for A1C for definitive diabetics is every three months. Its done quarterly because the life of the RBC is only three months. and to do it every 6 months is false information on the RBC cell itself. Also the tests are needed every thre emonths for Microalbinura clearance test.
Kideny fnction and cell lefe determination for begining end stage renal disease is monitored in every diabetic for trends.

While not everyone needs these they are in place for those who need them.

[bra]

Thank you for posting this. I've been bugging my partner all week with these exact same questions. I will tell him some things that I learned and he and I can compare notes to ready me for my big day at the testing.