Diagnosing T2 blood tests

[MrsB]

Hi all

I have finally made MrB go to drs to get himself checked for T2 as I've been worrying about him recently. He is overweight, tired and seems to be drinking and urinating more. As a T1 for 26 years I know about hba1c test etc so assumed Dr would request this. However he has been sent for a fasting test instead. Can anyone tell me what this looks for? Will it just give his 'at the time' BS level or an average? I've no experience with T2. Sorry to sound thick

 

[pavlosn]

Hi all

I have finally made MrB go to drs to get himself checked for T2 as I've been worrying about him recently. He is overweight, tired and seems to be drinking and urinating more. As a T1 for 26 years I know about hba1c test etc so assumed Dr would request this. However he has been sent for a fasting test instead. Can anyone tell me what this looks for? Will it just give his 'at the time' BS level or an average? I've no experience with T2. Sorry to sound thick

This is not an average test like the Hba1c. It just gives a measurement of his glucose at that point in time. If memory serves a result

up to 6 mmol is non diabetic,
6,1 - 6,9 mmol indicates pre diabetes
7 mmol and over is diabetic

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. A fasting test just gives the blood sugar level for the morning of the test. It's a guide but that's all. If it's quite high then T2 is likely and the GP should either do a GTT or an HBa1C. If it's near normal e.g. below around 8 mmol then it's inconclusive and further tests will be needed. It's possible the GP has included an Hba1c test with the fasting but probably not. There is nothing stopping you getting MrB to do some finger-prick checks 2 hours after a meal in the same way you are probably doing and this may help provide more information. In fact 2 hour post-meal checks can be more useful than a fasting test. I guess you realise that MrB needs to have the right diet which means keeping the carbs and portion sizes down. It's OK for those of us on insulin to eat carbs a bit more freely subject to weight gain but overweight T2s (if he is confirmed) have to rely on diet and perhaps tablets to reduce blood sugar

 

[jay hay-char]

I'm T2 and I get told to fast before I go for a blood test. I'm told this is because they run a number of tests when they take your bloods, including cholesterol, which is why you have to fast. I didn't pay close attention to the results first time around, but after my most recent, second, test, they gave me readings for HBa1C, blood sugar level at time of test (i.e. like a fingerprick test, though probably more accurate), kidney and liver function, cholesterol (total and HDL/LDL/Triglycerides) and whether or not I was a member of the communist party (OK, I lied about the last one).

They take three tubes of blood from me each time, presumably to cover the battery of tests that they run, and I'm starting to feel a bit like Tony Hancock in "The Blood Donor" ("It may be just a smear to you, mate, but it's life and death to some poor wretch! ... Why, that's very nearly an armful!" )

Why not suggest that your hubby asks the nurse what tests have been ordered when he/she takes the sample? I'm guessing it will, at the very least, include cholesterol and HBa1C.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi.

The normal routine is for a fasting blood glucose test, which is just a test of his level at that moment in time. If this is raised to 6mmol/l or thereabouts, he should be offered a second test for confirmation plus an HbA1c test before diagnosis is made. If it is very high, then things will be done more quickly and a diagnosis may be made immediately with confirmation tests and HbA1c to follow. As it happened, I was given an HbA1c at the same time as my first FBG test and this may well happen to Mr. B.

 

[jay hay-char]

Eek; I hope I haven't given a misleading answer; I can only speak from my own experience which was that I got the full sturm und drang from Day 1.....

 

[Bluetit1802]

Eek; I hope I haven't given a misleading answer; I can only speak from my own experience which was that I got the full sturm und drang from Day 1.....

No, you didn't give a misleading answer. Most of us get the full works initially - cholesterol, liver, kidneys, FBC and so on, in addition to the glucose tests.

 

[MrsB]

Thanks people. Hopefully they might tag on an hba1c too. Sometimes he's ok sometimes he's up to 8-9. We shall see..........

 

[Ruth B]

Mine was first noticed during a general blood test, so that was a fasting test, include cholesterol, liver function, kidney function and blood sugar. When they noticed the BS was borderline they call me back in for another couple of tests for full diagnosis. Now they do the HbA1C during a general fasting test normally every 6 months just to make sure everything is still running smoothly.

They have to use different vials as there are different preservatives that they have to use for the different tests. The vials are normally pre colour coded to show what preservative it contains and subsequently which tests it can be used for. Or at least that was what I have been told.

 

[andcol]

When I was diagnosed they did a fasting and HbA1c with the same sample. So maybe they plan to do both.

 

[MrsB]

Well, we are on countdown. I booked the first fasting appointment available for him, which is 13th November!!! Ages away. However, he has also booked himself in with the stop smoking Nurse on 30th October. I'm so proud of him. He has been a 40 a day man for years. We will be rich if he manages to quit (oh and obviously his health will improve lol)

 

[Ruth B]

Good luck to him with both appointments.

I may have never smoked, but I was addicted to junk snacks, it's surprising how much my weekly shop has come down since I stopped (or at least seriously reduced) buying chocolate, biscuits, cakes, crisps etc.