Diabetes Tests
Reviewed
Diabetes tests measure glucose levels in your blood to screen for, monitor, or diagnose diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. Urine tests are less accurate and are not used as often; a blood test is needed to confirm a diagnosis.
Preparation and collection
Fasting (not eating or drinking) for 8 hours before a blood glucose test or oral glucose tolerance test. No special preparation needed for random blood sugar, glucose challenge test, hemoglobin A1c, or glucose in urine test.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- Urine tests are not as accurate as blood tests and are not used to diagnose diabetes; a blood test is needed to confirm a diagnosis.
- If your glucose in urine levels are too high, you will probably need a blood test to confirm the diagnosis.
- Interpretation of results should be done by your healthcare provider, as reference ranges and units are not provided here.
What to do next
If you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, talk to your provider about how to best manage the disease. If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, your condition may be managed or even reversed with medicines and lifestyle changes. If you have gestational diabetes, talk to your provider about treatment options. If you have other questions about your diabetes diagnosis or treatment, talk to your provider.