Did you know the primary source of energy in your body is blood glucose? It is the main sugar found in your body and is derived from the food you consume. Basically, when you eat, your body turns food into glucose, releasing it into the blood. The rising blood glucose prompts the pancreas to release insulin, a hormone that enables glucose entry into the cells for energy production. As the glucose is absorbed into the cells, the level of glucose in blood falls.
Insufficient insulin production or usage can result in high blood glucose levels, which eventually leads to diabetes. The accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream can lead to serious health issues.
Glucose tolerance test (GTT) is a diagnostic tool used to assess how the body processes sugar and plays a vital role in managing diabetes. Glucose tolerance test helps identify prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, enabling healthcare professionals to develop personalised treatment plans, monitor glycaemic control, and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. Let’s take a detailed look at blood glucose testing.
The glucose tolerance test’s key role is to determine whether the body can store and use blood sugar normally. The test can be of two types, oral and intravenous. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is more commonly done and checks the ability of your body to process sugar. Elevated blood sugar levels may indicate inadequate sugar absorption by cells, pointing to possible diabetes. In gestational diabetes, pregnancy hormones often lead to increased blood sugar levels, which typically normalise after childbirth.
On the other hand, the intravenous (IV) glucose tolerance test (IGTT), is infrequently employed and not used for diagnosing diabetes. In this test, glucose is administered into a vein for 3 minutes. Blood insulin levels are noted before the injection, and after 1 and 3 minutes. The time of this check may vary. This type of blood glucose testing is mainly reserved for research purposes.
For OGTT, you need to follow some guidelines that are as under:
The process of OGTT is as follows: A fasting blood sugar (FBS) test will be done before the test starts. Following this, you will be instructed to drink a liquid containing a specified amount of glucose (glucose challenge test), typically about 75 grams. Subsequently, blood samples will be taken at intervals of 30 to 60 minutes after consuming the glucose solution. The entire test procedure might extend up to 3 hours.
OGTT test results do not determine if the test was properly prepared and administered. It evaluates glucose tolerance during the test and provides a qualitative indication of average blood glucose and HbA1c (normal, high, very high). It also cannot distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes or predict the response to hypoglycaemic therapy or the risk of diabetes complications.
Regular glucose tolerance tests can be quite vital to managing your diabetes. Some benefits of blood glucose testing include:
Glucose tolerance test results may vary depending on the labs and the samples used. Moreover, certain medications, illnesses, recent trauma or surgery, and carbohydrate intake during the test can hinder test results. So, remember to let your doctor know about the medications you are taking. Let’s take a look at the values of glucose tolerance test results.
Normal glucose tolerance test results indicate no diabetes. The glucose tolerance test normal range for 75-gram OGTT, which is used to test for type 2 diabetes in non-pregnant individuals, is as follows:
OGTT test results with higher than glucose tolerance test normal values may indicate pre-diabetes or diabetes:
Your healthcare provider can help resolve any doubts you might have regarding your glucose tolerance test results. They can prescribe you the appropriate diet, medications, and lifestyle changes if necessary.
With the various developments in the lab testing universe, it is now easy to book tests like glucose tolerance tests easily at home. Here are a few quick steps you can follow to get a test for glucose tolerance:
Glucose Challenge Test in Bangalore | Glucose Challenge Test in Hyderabad | Glucose Challenge Test in Noida | Glucose Challenge Test in Gurgaon | Glucose Challenge Test in Delhi | Glucose Challenge Test in Faridabad
Glucose tolerance tests are like undercover detective
Did you know the primary source of energy in your body is blood glucose? It is the main sugar found in your body and is derived from the food you consume. Basically, when you eat, your body turns food into glucose, releasing it into the blood. The rising blood glucose prompts the pancreas to release insulin, a hormone that enables glucose entry into the cells for energy production. As the glucose is absorbed into the cells, the level of glucose in blood falls.
Insufficient insulin production or usage can result in high blood glucose levels, which eventually leads to diabetes. The accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream can lead to serious health issues.
Glucose tolerance test (GTT) is a diagnostic tool used to assess how the body processes sugar and plays a vital role in managing diabetes. Glucose tolerance test helps identify prediabetes, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes, enabling healthcare professionals to develop personalised treatment plans, monitor glycaemic control, and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. Let’s take a detailed look at blood glucose testing.
The glucose tolerance test’s key role is to determine whether the body can store and use blood sugar normally. The test can be of two types, oral and intravenous. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is more commonly done and checks the ability of your body to process sugar. Elevated blood sugar levels may indicate inadequate sugar absorption by cells, pointing to possible diabetes. In gestational diabetes, pregnancy hormones often lead to increased blood sugar levels, which typically normalise after childbirth.
On the other hand, the intravenous (IV) glucose tolerance test (IGTT), is infrequently employed and not used for diagnosing diabetes. In this test, glucose is administered into a vein for 3 minutes. Blood insulin levels are noted before the injection, and after 1 and 3 minutes. The time of this check may vary. This type of blood glucose testing is mainly reserved for research purposes.
For OGTT, you need to follow some guidelines that are as under:
The process of OGTT is as follows: A fasting blood sugar (FBS) test will be done before the test starts. Following this, you will be instructed to drink a liquid containing a specified amount of glucose (glucose challenge test), typically about 75 grams. Subsequently, blood samples will be taken at intervals of 30 to 60 minutes after consuming the glucose solution. The entire test procedure might extend up to 3 hours.
OGTT test results do not determine if the test was properly prepared and administered. It evaluates glucose tolerance during the test and provides a qualitative indication of average blood glucose and HbA1c (normal, high, very high). It also cannot distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes or predict the response to hypoglycaemic therapy or the risk of diabetes complications.
Regular glucose tolerance tests can be quite vital to managing your diabetes. Some benefits of blood glucose testing include:
Glucose tolerance test results may vary depending on the labs and the samples used. Moreover, certain medications, illnesses, recent trauma or surgery, and carbohydrate intake during the test can hinder test results. So, remember to let your doctor know about the medications you are taking. Let’s take a look at the values of glucose tolerance test results.
Normal glucose tolerance test results indicate no diabetes. The glucose tolerance test normal range for 75-gram OGTT, which is used to test for type 2 diabetes in non-pregnant individuals, is as follows:
OGTT test results with higher than glucose tolerance test normal values may indicate pre-diabetes or diabetes:
Your healthcare provider can help resolve any doubts you might have regarding your glucose tolerance test results. They can prescribe you the appropriate diet, medications, and lifestyle changes if necessary.
With the various developments in the lab testing universe, it is now easy to book tests like glucose tolerance tests easily at home. Here are a few quick steps you can follow to get a test for glucose tolerance:
Glucose Challenge Test in Bangalore | Glucose Challenge Test in Hyderabad | Glucose Challenge Test in Noida | Glucose Challenge Test in Gurgaon | Glucose Challenge Test in Delhi | Glucose Challenge Test in Faridabad
Glucose tolerance tests are like undercover detective