What Is The Glucose Challenge Screening Test
No preparation is required prior to the test. During the test, the mother is asked to drink a sweet liquid and then will have blood drawn one hour from having the drink, as blood glucose levels normally peak within one hour. No fasting is required prior to this test.
The test evaluates how your body processes sugar. A high level in your blood may indicate your body is not processing sugar effectively . If the results of this screen are positive, the woman may have the Glucose Tolerance Test performed. It is important to note that not all women who test positive for the Glucose Challenge Screening test are found to have diabetes upon further diagnosis.
How To Prepare 1 Hour Test
Glucose Tolerance Test Results
Itâs worth knowing that approximately 66 percent of pregnant women who take the glucose tolerance test end up not being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. So, just because your provider has ordered a glucose tolerance test during your pregnancy doesnât automatically mean you have gestational diabetes.So, what do the results of the glucose tolerance test indicate? Four blood samples are drawn during a glucose tolerance test. If just one of the four results is higher than normal, your provider may recommend that you make subtle changes to your current pregnancy diet. The provider may have you take another glucose tolerance test after youâve made those changes to check if the results have improved.If more than one of the results is higher than normal, your provider may determine that you have gestational diabetes. The following figures indicate higher than normal blood sugar levels:
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Fasting blood sample: Higher than 95 mg/dL
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1-hour blood sample: Higher than 180 mg/dL
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2-hour blood sample: Higher than 155 mg/dL
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3-hour blood sample: Higher than 140 mg/dL .
If itâs determined that you have gestational diabetes, your healthcare provider can help guide you in making changes to help manage it. Eating a healthy diet, exercising during your pregnancy, and taking medication prescribed by your provider have been shown to help control blood sugar and to help keep you and your baby healthy.
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What Makes You A High
If you may be at high risk for gestational diabetes , your healthcare provider may also consider certain aspects of your medical history.The provider may take into account your pre-pregnancy weight , your age, whether anyone in your family has had gestational diabetes or diabetes, your race or ethnic background , and outcomes of any previous pregnancies.Speak to your healthcare provider to find out whether you have a high risk or low risk of developing gestational diabetes. If the provider determines your risk is low, you may not have to take the glucose challenge test.
How Is The Glucose Screening Test Done Do I Have To Fast
No, you don’t have to fast for the screening test. You can eat and drink that day as you normally would.
Here’s what to expect during and after the test:
- A sweet drink: When you arrive for the test, you’ll drink a sugar solution that contains 50 grams of glucose. The stuff tastes like a very sweet soda pop , and you have to get all of it down in five minutes. Some providers keep it chilled or let you pour it over ice and drink it cold.
- A blood draw: An hour later, a blood sample is taken to check your blood sugar level. The result indicates how efficiently your body processes sugar.
- Results: These should be available in a few days. If the reading is too high, which happens an estimated 15 to 23 percent of the time, you’ll be asked to return for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see whether you have gestational diabetes. The good news is that most women whose screening test shows elevated blood sugar don’t turn out to have gestational diabetes.
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Risks And Side Effects
Most people do not experience any side effects from glucose testing, and serious complications are rare.
As it involves fasting and blood testing, the glucose tolerance test might cause nausea, light-headedness, shortness of breath, and sweating in some people.
The doctor uses a needle to draw the blood, so the injection may cause moderate pain for some.
More serious but less common risks include:
- excessive bleeding
The glucose tolerance test is not the only way to diagnose diabetes. Doctors use other tests to diagnose and monitor the condition.
What Is The Treatment For Gestational Diabetes
If you fail the glucose tolerance test and are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you’ll work with your provider or a diabetes specialist, and possibly a nutritionist. Together you’ll come up with a treatment plan, which will cover:
BabyCenter’s editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you’re seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.
CDC. 2019. Gestational diabetes.
ACOG. 2017. Practice bulletin no. 180. Gestational diabetes mellitus. Obstetrics & Gynecology
MedlinePlus. 2020. Glucose screening tests during pregnancy.
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Glucose Challenge Test Results
What many medical experts consider a normal result for a glucose challenge test is a blood sugar level equal to or less than 140 mg/dL . The mg/dL means milligrams per deciliter and the mmol/L means millimoles per liter. This is how the glucose is measured in your blood sample. A normal result means you do not have gestational diabetes.If your level is higher than 140 mg/dL , your healthcare provider may recommend you do the glucose tolerance test, which can help better determine if you have gestational diabetes or not.
How Is Glucose Tolerance Test Performed
GTT protocols for pregnant women and non-pregnant individuals differ slightly.
Non-pregnant individuals:
- A blood sample is collected from the arm using a sterile needle after swabbing the concerned area with an appropriate antiseptic solution. Some people experience a little discomfort at needle insertion site, which disappears soon after the test.
- A sugary drink is given to the individual, which they should consume immediately.
- There is a waiting period of 2 hours after that, during which, eating, drinking any other juices or caffeinated beverages, and smoking is not permitted.
- Another blood sample is collected at the end of 2 hours.
Pregnant women:
- The pregnant woman is given a glass of sugary drink, which she should consume immediately.
- After a waiting period of 1 hour, a blood sample is collected from her arm using a sterile needle. Eating or drinking any juices or fluids is not permitted during the waiting period.
- In case of any blood sugar abnormalities in test results, the doctor may require another test where they would follow the same procedure as that for non-pregnant individuals.
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Is There Anything I Can Do To Help Me Pass The Glucose Tests
No. If you have gestational diabetes, the glucose tolerance test will detect it. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing gestational diabetes, as well as to keep your blood glucose levels stable even if you do have the condition. These are:
- Healthy eating: Opt for whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, which are high in fiber, and cut back on foods and drinks that are high in added sugars.
- Exercise:Moderate exercise, such as walking briskly and swimming, can help keep your blood sugar under control.
- Maintaining a healthy weight: Use our pregnancy healthy weight gain calculator to estimate how much you can expect to gain and whether you are on target.
Who Should Not Do The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
While the oral glucose tolerance test is safe for most people, there are some reasons why a person would not be able to do it safely.
You should not have an oral glucose tolerance test if you:
- Have already been diagnosed with diabetes
- Have ever experienced hypokalemic paralysis
If you cannot do the oral glucose tolerance test, your provider will have to use other tests to look at your blood glucose levels. The alternatives to an oral glucose tolerance test may include blood or urine tests to check your blood sugar or monitoring your levels at home with a glucometer.
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Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Uses And Results
The oral glucose tolerance test measures how well the body can break down and use sugar as well as clear it from the bloodstream. It’s also called a glucose tolerance test and is safe for adults and children.
For the test, you drink a syrupy solution after not eating for a while . A few blood samples are taken to see how your body is handling the sugar in the drink.
The oral glucose tolerance test can diagnose type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, pregnancy-related diabetes , and high blood sugar levels that put someone at risk for type 2 diabetes .
This article will go over why the oral glucose tolerance test is used, what to expect if you have to have it done, and what your results mean.
Importance Of Glucose Tolerance Test
Undergoing a glucose tolerance test is important for your health and wellbeing. Early diagnosis of diabetes using this test is a lifesaving move. Once you know that you have diabetes, you will be able to avoid life threatening situations such as too high or low blood sugar levels. Type 1 Diabetes that involves high levels of sugar in your blood is quickly diagnosed. On the other hand, type 2 Diabetes develops over a long time and is often seen in adulthood. Type 2 diabetes is the common type of diabetes.
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Can I Skip Taking Glucose Tests
Yes, you can decline a glucose screening or test, but opting out is not recommended. Since most women with gestational diabetes don’t have any symptoms, getting tested may be the only way to find out if you have the condition.
Gestational diabetes puts you and your baby at risk of complications. Detecting gestational diabetes allows you to work with your provider on managing and reducing those risks so you can enjoy a healthy pregnancy.
How Is The Test Performed
Before the test you will be asked not to eat, or drink certain fluids, for up to 8 to 12 hours before the test.
You may be asked to not take certain medications in the lead up to the test, but only if these would affect the test results.
For the test itself, you will first have blood taken to measure your blood glucose level before the test. The next stage is to take a very sweet tasting, glucose drink.
Further blood samples will then be taken either at regular intervals of say 30 or 60 minutes or a single test after 2 hours. The test could take up to 3 hours.
Between blood tests you will need to wait so its best to have some reading material, or something else to keep you occupied, with you.
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What Can I Expect If Getting An Oral Glucose Tolerance Test
Before doing an OGTT, a doctor might perform a glucose challenge test first. This is a shortened version of the OGTT.
A glucose challenge test requires no fasting. During the test, youll drink a beverage containing 50 grams of glucose. After 1 hour, a healthcare professional will take a blood sample to check your blood sugar level.
If your blood glucose is higher than 140 mg/dL, it might indicate diabetes. In this case, youll need an OGTT.
An OGTT requires some preparation. Youll need to fast for about 8 hours before the test is performed. This means you cant eat breakfast or drink any liquids, except water, beforehand.
An OGTT includes the following steps:
- A health worker will take a blood sample from your fingertip, earlobe, or a vein. Theyll test the sample for blood glucose, which will serve as a baseline measurement.
- Youll drink a concentrated glucose beverage. Most solutions contain 75 grams of glucose.
- Youll sit or lay down for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, healthcare staff will take a blood sample.
- A healthcare professional may take another blood sample after 2 hours and again at 3 hours.
- A medical team will measure the blood glucose levels at each test time.
Between testing times, youll need to stay still and avoid drinking a lot of water. Thats because excessive movement and hydration can alter the results.
You might receive an OGTT without receiving a glucose challenge test first.
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Treatments For Gestational Diabetes
If you have gestational diabetes, the chances of having problems with your pregnancy can be reduced by controlling your blood sugar levels.
You’ll be given a blood sugar testing kit so you can monitor the effects of treatment.
Blood sugar levels may be reduced by changing your diet and exercise routine. However, if these changes don’t lower your blood sugar levels enough, you will need to take medicine as well. This may be tablets or insulin injections.
You’ll also be more closely monitored during your pregnancy and birth to check for any potential problems.
If you have gestational diabetes, it’s best to give birth before 41 weeks. Induction of labour or a caesarean section may be recommended if labour does not start naturally by this time.
Earlier delivery may be recommended if there are concerns about your or your baby’s health or if your blood sugar levels have not been well controlled.
Find out more about how gestational diabetes is treated.
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Are There Any Side Effects Associated With The Glucose Tests
Most pregnant women donât have any side effects during or after either glucose test. It’s possible that you may feel nauseous, lightheaded, or even sweaty after drinking the glucose solution. It tastes like a very sweet soda, which can be easier to stomach for some women than for others.Youâll need to have your blood drawn, so you might feel dizzy, and you may have slight bruising around the blood withdrawal spot, but otherwise the risks associated with these tests are minimal.
How Do I Get Ready
To get an accurate result on the OGTT, eat about 150 grams of carbohydrates each day for 3 days before the test. Don’t eat or drink anything except water after about 10 oâclock the night before.
You don’t need to do any special prep before the pregnancy glucose challenge test. You can eat in the morning. Just avoid foods with a lot of sugar, such as doughnuts or orange juice.
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What Do The Results Of The Glucose Tests Mean
As the normal range for blood sugar levels detected in the glucose challenge test and the glucose tolerance test may vary depending on the lab or clinic, your provider will be your best resource for information and advice on your specific results and recommended next steps in your pregnancy. However, these general guidelines may apply:
What About Glucose Tolerance Testing During Pregnancy
As mentioned previously, the glucose tolerance test is used for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes . It may be used if there are equivocal fasting or random blood glucose results, or to screen for gestational diabetes in pregnant women between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation who are not known to have diabetes.
The test may also be used in the postpartum period to detect diabetes in women who had gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Women who had gestational diabetes do not always develop diabetes later in life, but they should undergo diabetes screening at least every three years throughout their life.
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How To Pass The 3 Hour Glucose Tolerance Test
Just like the 1 hour glucose test, there isnt any special way to ensure that you pass the 3 hour oral glucose tolerance test aka the ogtt.
Your best bet is to eat a well-balanced diet leading up to the test and minimize the consumption of simple carbs like cereal, white flour, juice, and soda.
Making these changes the night before or the week before is unlikely to make a big difference. You should make these changes months in advance.
Its also a good idea to try and maintain these habits postpartum as well. Unfortunately, 60% of women with gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.