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What Does The Lab Test Report Indicate?
Question: Good Evening,
I haven't had a complete blood work labs for at least 1 1/2 years. My family history has diabetes, every fasting glucose test was 80 or less.
Today I was at a local home/health show, even though I didn't fast, I had my blood sugar checked. After 3 hrs it as 121. The hospital volunteer said to me to call my primary care dr to follow up. Should I be worried that I'm turning diabetic?
Thank you
I haven't had a complete blood work labs for at least 1 1/2 years. My family history has diabetes, every fasting glucose test was 80 or less.
Today I was at a local home/health show, even though I didn't fast, I had my blood sugar checked. After 3 hrs it as 121. The hospital volunteer said to me to call my primary care dr to follow up. Should I be worried that I'm turning diabetic?
Thank you
Brief Answer:
No, not diabetic.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If the glucose of 121 was fasting, then I would have some concern. But given that it was 3 hours after eating, it is considered a random blood sugar, and for a diagnosis of diabetes, a random sugar would need to be 200 or more.
Now about "pre diabetes" aka impaired glucose tolerance, that can sometimes lead to diabetes, the criteria for diagnosis are any of the following:
1. An A1C of 5.7% – 6.4%
This is a test that measures an average of your blood sugars over a period of about 2 months. It is a blood test and does not need to be done fasting.
2. Fasting blood glucose of 100 – 125 mg/dl
3. An oral glucose tolerance test 2 hour blood glucose of 140 mg/dl – 199 mg/dl
A glucose of 121 would fall into the "pre diabetes" range only IF YOU HAD BEEN FASTING.
So I think this random glucose check is in the ok range, but if you want to make sure how you are doing, you can go in for an A1C test to see how things have been on average.
But I do not think you need to be worried.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
If, in the future, you would like me specifically to answer a question, just put my name (or any part of it such as Dr. Bonnie) in the first line of your question and it will be routed to me.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
No, not diabetic.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
If the glucose of 121 was fasting, then I would have some concern. But given that it was 3 hours after eating, it is considered a random blood sugar, and for a diagnosis of diabetes, a random sugar would need to be 200 or more.
Now about "pre diabetes" aka impaired glucose tolerance, that can sometimes lead to diabetes, the criteria for diagnosis are any of the following:
1. An A1C of 5.7% – 6.4%
This is a test that measures an average of your blood sugars over a period of about 2 months. It is a blood test and does not need to be done fasting.
2. Fasting blood glucose of 100 – 125 mg/dl
3. An oral glucose tolerance test 2 hour blood glucose of 140 mg/dl – 199 mg/dl
A glucose of 121 would fall into the "pre diabetes" range only IF YOU HAD BEEN FASTING.
So I think this random glucose check is in the ok range, but if you want to make sure how you are doing, you can go in for an A1C test to see how things have been on average.
But I do not think you need to be worried.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
If, in the future, you would like me specifically to answer a question, just put my name (or any part of it such as Dr. Bonnie) in the first line of your question and it will be routed to me.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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