Diabetes Screening

To determine whether or not you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.  Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes.

With the Fasting Plasma Glucose test, a fasting blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dl signals pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood glucose level of 126 mg/dl or higher has diabetes.

In the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, a person's blood glucose level is measured after a fast and two hours after drinking a glucose-rich beverage. If the two-hour blood glucose level is between 140 and 199 mg/dl, the person tested has pre-diabetes. If the two-hour blood glucose level is at 200 mg/dl or higher, the person tested has diabetes.