Fasting blood

[bramwil]

Hi there,
My hubby has just been told he has prediabetes but what has confused me is how can they tell when all the blood he has had taken (3 times) he hasn't had to fast first. How can these tests be true if the blood wasn't taken at the same time of day and not after fasting.

 

[GrantGam]

It's possible that one of the blood samples taken was for what's called an HbA1c test. From this the doctors can get an average blood glucose reading over a period of around 2-3 months. Fasting need not apply for this test.

Cheers,
Grant

 

[Squire Fulwood]

They do a number of tests at the same time and the one for triglycerides requires fasting. Triglycerides are a form of fat in the blood and a recent meal can affect the result.