For many people, a fasting blood sugar test does not reveal much. The problem with a fasting glucose test is that it does not show how well a persons body metabolizes carbohydrates. With the exception of Type 1 diabetics or extreme Type 2 diabetics, most people have a normal blood sugar after an 8-12 hour fast. More accurate tests for blood sugar balance include: - Glycated Hemoglobin A1C: Provides an average of blood sugar levels over the past 90 days. Many people who consistently have normal fasting blood sugars have higher than recommended A1Cs because their body does not metabolize and process carbohydrates well, leading to blood sugar spikes after eating. - Insulin: Checking the insulin level is a great way to spot insulin resistance (a pre-cursor to diabetes and other health challenges) very early. It is a standard test that is ordered far too seldomly. You can request it, and I encourage everyone to have one run once a year in order to spot changes and trends. - Glucose testing at 2 hours post-prandial (after eating): Doing a simple finger stick to check glucose 1-2 hours after eating a balanced meal provides a much better idea of how someones body processes carbohydrates. Any glucose reading above 140 may indicate a need for further testing. On a side note, the old glucose tolerance tests where a person drank a glucose solution and then had their blood glucose tested every few hours are now considered outdated. The form of glucose used in those tests could elevate anyones blood sugar, even folks who do not have diabetes. I know several people who were diagnosed with diabetes after a glucose tolerance test who did not actually have it.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Jan 2014 21:25:49 +0000
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