Diabetes & Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

An oral glucose tolerance test measures the amount of sugar in your blood in order to test for diabetes. Your initial blood glucose (sugar) level is tested then you will be instructed to eat (or drink) a standard amount of glucose (that must be taken within 5 minutes) and is given to you by mouth. Your blood glucose is then tested again after two hours. Your normal results should show an initial glucose level of less than 6.1mmol/l with a glucose level of less than 7.8mmol/l in the second measurement (taken 2 hours after eating the sugar). These two measurements are generally known as your fasting glucose level and your two hour glucose level respectively. If your fasting glucose levels are found to be over 7.0mmol/l and your two hour glucose levels are found to be over 11.1mmol/l then this is diagnostic evidence that you have developed diabetes. Intermediate results can suggest that you have an impaired fasting glycaemia or an impaired glucose tolerance and these conditions increase your risk of developing diabetes later in life. If you are found to have a higher than normal blood glucose level as measured by an oral glucose tolerance test then you may want to discuss lifestyle changing measures that you could take to reduce your risk of developing diabetes and (or if you have diabetes) to reduce your risk of developing secondary diseases such as heart disease and stroke.        

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