Results From Glucose Tolerance Test

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test During Pregnancy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that you be screened for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

However, rather than going right to a three-hour oral glucose tolerance test, healthcare providers usually recommend starting with a one-hour glucose challenge first, which you do not have to fast for.

The one-hour glucose challenge can be done before 24 weeks if a person has obesity, has a family history of diabetes, has been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome , or had gestational diabetes during previous pregnancies.

If the test shows that your blood glucose values are equal to or greater than 140 milligrams per deciliter , the results are abnormal. You would then move on to doing the full, three-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Some providers set the threshold for requiring a second test as low as 130 mg/dL.

Cost And Health Insurance

The oral glucose tolerance test might be covered in part or in full by your health insurance.

Prior authorization is usually not required for an oral glucose tolerance test, but it’s still a good idea to ask your insurance carrier how much the copay or coinsurance for the test will be.

If you do not have health insurance, shop around for the best price. Independent labs tend to have lower costs than healthcare providers’ offices or hospitals.

You can also ask if the facility has a patient assistance program that offers a tiered price structure or monthly payment plans.

It can be helpful to find out this information before you need it, especially if there’s a chance you’ll need to have more tests in the future.

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.

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What Do These Ogt Test Results Mean

If you are within the impaired glucose tolerance range, you will likely be advised to make lifestyle changes. In some cases, blood glucose lowering medication may be advised.

If you fall within the diabetic range, it is quite likely that blood glucose medication will be prescribed to help your body keep your blood glucose levels down.

Why Do You Need A Glucose Test During Pregnancy

A glucose test helps your pregnancy care provider diagnose gestational diabetes. If you have diabetes during pregnancy, managing your blood sugar level is important. If left untreated, diabetes can cause serious complications. Some of the complications are:

• Delivering a large baby, which increases your risk of birth injuries or C-section.
• Low blood sugar for your baby after theyre born .
• Your babys at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes later in life.

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What Is The Two

The two-hour glucose tolerance test is basically a shortened version of the three-hour tolerance test. If you get this test, you likely won’t do the screening test first, which is why the two-hour version is sometimes referred to as the “one-step” glucose tolerance test.

Overnight fast: Typically you’re instructed to eat a late meal the night before the test and then to eat or drink nothing after that, except for sips of water. The fasting period is usually 8 to 14 hours before the test, so you’ll want to schedule the test for first thing in the morning.

Here’s what to expect at the lab:

• First blood draw: When you arrive for the test, a blood sample is taken to measure your fasting blood glucose level.
• Sweet drink: Next, you’ll drink a very sweet drink, which usually contains 75 grams of glucose.
• Two more blood draws: Your blood will be drawn at one hour and two hours after the drink.
• Results: If any of your blood sugar readings are abnormal you will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

This chart shows the levels that the American Diabetes Association considers abnormal at each interval of the two-hour glucose tolerance test :

What Happens After I Get My Test Results

The next steps depend on your results and overall health.

After your blood samples have been tested by a laboratory, a healthcare professional will send you the results. Theyll indicate what your OGTT results mean.

If your blood glucose levels are normal, it means you dont have diabetes. You wont have to do anything else except continue following healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a balanced diet and exercising. A doctor can let you know when you should have your next routine blood test.

If your blood glucose levels are high, you may receive a diabetes diagnosis. A healthcare team can develop a diabetes management plan to help reduce complications.

You may be asked to:

• take diabetes medication
• make changes to your diet
• use a blood glucose meter to monitor your blood glucose
• visit an endocrinologist

If youre pregnant and have a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, you may need to have an OGTT 4 to 12 weeks after giving birth. This will check to see if youve developed type 2 diabetes.

If your results from this test are normal, you may be asked to get an OGTT every 1 to 3 years as a routine checkup.

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How To Prepare For The Glucose Challenge Screening Test

The good news is that you dont really need to do much of anything to get yourself ready for this glucose screening test. We want to see how your body responds naturally to glucose, so just eat what you would regularly eat or drink, advises Greves.

Pope echoes this recommendation, but stresses that having long-term healthy lifestyle habits can ultimately improve your chances of passing: There really is no preparation besides trying your best to always eat as healthy as you can, and exercise routinely. This helps with glucose metabolism.

Still, if youve been doing your own internet sleuthing to figure out what to eat before your glucose testor in the hopes of sourcing hacks to help you pass the testknow that any touted tips are unproven and ill-advised. Patients always try and trick the system to try and pass the test. Theres no secret to this, says Pope. Whats more, you shouldnt want to cheat if youre at risk for gestational diabetes, you need to know so you can take the necessary next steps.

How Is The Glucose Screening Test Done Do I Have To Fast

No, you dont have to fast for the screening test. You can eat and drink that day as you normally would.

Heres what to expect during and after the test:

• A sweet drink: When you arrive for the test, youll 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, youll 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 dont turn out to have gestational diabetes.

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How Do I Prepare For My 1 Hour Glucose Test

You shouldnt make any drastic changes to prepare for the 1 hour glucose test.

In fact, its best that you follow your normal diet because its important to get an accurate representation of how your body handles sugar on a day to day basis.

Otherwise, try and get a good nights sleep the week before the test.

Sleep deprivation can increase cortisol levels, which can also affect your blood sugar levels.

How The Test Is Performed

The most common glucose tolerance test is the oral glucose tolerance test .

Before the test begins, a sample of blood will be taken.

You will then be asked to drink a liquid containing a certain amount of glucose . Your blood will be taken again every 30 to 60 minutes after you drink the solution.

The test may take up to 3 hours.

A similar test is the intravenous glucose tolerance test . It is rarely used, and is never used to diagnose diabetes. In one version of the IGTT, glucose is injected into your vein for 3 minutes. Blood insulin levels are measured before the injection, and again at 1 and 3 minutes after the injection. The timing may vary. This IGTT is almost always used for research purposes only.

A similar test is used in the diagnosis of growth hormone excess when both glucose and growth hormone are measured after the glucose drink is consumed.

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How Do You Prepare For Glucose Tolerance Test

Maintaining regular food intake for 3 days preceding the test is necessary for GTT. The doctor should be informed about any existing medical conditions or intake of any medications or herbal supplements. Do not change the course of any medication without consulting your doctor. Pregnant women should consult the doctor to get further instructions for this test.

Non-pregnant individuals:

Individuals should fast for about 8-10 hours before the test. During this time, he/she can drink water, but food, juices and caffeine should not be taken before the test. Smoking should also be avoided during fasting hours. Generally, GTT is performed in the morning.

Pregnant women:

GTT can be performed at any time during the day for pregnant women. In exceptional conditions, the doctor may ask to follow the standard preparation instructions that are recommended for non-pregnant individuals.

Glucose Tolerance Test Procedure

The GTT procedure is as follows

• At first a zero -time or baseline blood sample is drawn.
• Then the patient is given a specific dose of glucose solution to drink
• After that the blood samples are drawn at regular intervals to measure the blood sugar levels and also insulin levels in certain cases. The blood sampling can be done as requested by the doctor and could involve up to 6 hours of testing.

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A Rationale For Omitting Two

Get rights and content Objective: In making decisions regarding initiation of insulin therapy in gestational diabetes, most maternal-fetal obstetricians rely more on elevated fasting glucose values than on elevated 2-hour postprandial levels. We sought to determine whether the latter test is necessary. Study Design: From the patients with gestational diabetes mellitus managed over a 17-month period at Grady Memorial Hospital, we retrospectively analyzed data to determine whether normal fasting plasma glucose values predict elevated 2-hour postprandial values and whether the latter predict adverse outcome. Results: From 194 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus, 546 paired fasting and 2-hour postprandial glucose values were recorded. Fasting levels were normal in 467 in those, 2-hour levels were < 120 mg/dl in 83% and < 140 in fully 96%. In 131 women with all fasting plasma glucose values normal, the birth weights and the rates of cesarean delivery, shoulder dystocia, and macrosomia were similar, regardless of whether 2-hour postprandial glucose values were> 120. The actual cost of the 546 2-hour postprandial glucose tests was nearly $10,000. Conclusion: For metabolic surveillance in gestational diabetes mellitus, the 2-hour postprandial glucose test seems unnecessary, provided fasting plasma glucose values remain normal.Continue reading > >

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Glucose Tolerance Test Preparation Procedure Results And Interpretation

Glucose Tolerance Test is a measure of your bodys ability to absorb sugars. The test is done after you have ingested a specific quantity of sugar. Primarily, your medical care professional uses a glucose tolerance test in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. It is also used in the diagnosis of other types of diabetes and rare disorders.

There are two types of glucose tolerance tests. The first is called the 1-hour glucose tolerance test. In this test, your blood sample is taken twice. One is before you are given a glucose-rich drink, and the second sample is taken 1 hour after you take a sugared drink.

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What Do The Results Mean

Your blood glucose level should rise after you finish the sugary drink. Then it should go back to normal, as insulin moves glucose into your cells. If your blood sugar takes a long time to go back to normal, you could have diabetes.

You might see a measurement from the test written out as âmg/dL.â It stands for milligrams per deciliter. Two hours after you finish the glucose drink, this is what your results mean:

Below 140 mg/dL:normal blood sugar

Between 140 and 199: impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes

200 or higher: diabetes

When you’re pregnant, a blood glucose level of 140 mg/dL or higher is abnormal. Your doctor will recommend that you take a 3-hour OGTT. During this longer test, you’ll have blood drawn before you drink a sugary solution. Then you’ll have your blood tested every hour for three hours.

What Are The Preparations Needed For Gtt

GTT is an elaborate blood test, that requires frequent testing and as the special requirements need for GTT are as follows

• Have a normal diet like any other day.
• Inform the doctor about the varied prescription drugs you are taking, as certain drugs like corticosteroids, diuretics and anti- depressants can cause false results.
• Fasting is required for 8 to 10 hours prior to the test and only water is allowed during this period.
• You might want to avoid using the washroom prior to testing as urine samples might be needed
• On the morning of the test do not smoke or have coffee or caffeine based product.
• The GTT is not to be done on a sick person

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Random Blood Sugar Test

This measures your blood sugar at the time youre tested. You can take this test at any time and dont need to fast first. A blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates you have diabetes.

*Results for gestational diabetes can differ. Ask your health care provider what your results mean if youre being tested for gestational diabetes.Source: American Diabetes Association

If your doctor thinks you have type 1 diabetes, your blood may also tested for autoantibodies that are often present in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2 diabetes. You may have your urine tested for ketones , which also indicate type 1 diabetes instead of type 2 diabetes.

What Does The Glucose Tolerance Test Measure

The classic oral glucose tolerance test measures blood glucose levels five times over a period of three hours. Some physicians simply take a baseline blood sample followed by a sample two hours after drinking the glucose solution. In a person without diabetes, the glucose levels rise and then fall quickly. In someone with diabetes, glucose levels rise higher than normal and fail to come back down as fast.

People with glucose levels between normal and diabetic levels have so-called impaired glucose tolerance . People with impaired glucose tolerance do not have diabetes.

Each year, 5% to 10% of people whose test results show impaired glucose tolerance actually develop diabetes. Weight loss and exercise may help people with impaired glucose tolerance return their glucose levels to normal. In addition, some physicians advocate the use of medications, such as metformin , to help prevent/delay the onset of overt diabetes. Studies have shown that impaired glucose tolerance itself may be a risk factor for the development of heart disease, and whether impaired glucose tolerance turns out to be an entity that deserves treatment itself is something that physicians are currently debating.

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How Reliable Is The Glucose Tolerance Test

For the glucose tolerance test to give reliable results, the person must be in good health . Also, the person should be normally active and should not be taking medicines that could affect the blood glucose.

• In preparation for the oral glucose tolerance test, the person should eat and drink as they normally would.
• The morning of the test, the person should not smoke or consume caffeine.

How Can We Help

The GTT and OGTT are a long procedure and can take up to 6 hours of testing and could be really tiring. So, to counter that we offer GT Test at home so you can relax within the comfort of your home. Our certified healthcare professional would oversee the test at regular intervals as part of the protocol and follow standard procedure.

So if you need GTT or OGTT dont stress yourself out at dull clinics and hospitals rather take the test at the comfort of your home with our highly trusted at home healthcare services.

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