Diabetes diagnosis:
A caller last Saturday was confused about whether she had diabetes or not. She was using her husband's glucometer to test herself. What she found was a marginally elevated blood sugar that was not confirmed in her doctor's office. Her hgbA1c was also in the normal range. She is not diabetic. For a variety of reasons finger stick measurements vary compared to tests from your doctor's lab. Bottom line: Diagnosis of diabetes is never made from finger sticks.
Diabetes diagnosis - lab values only:
- Fasting blood sugar greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl
- Casual plasma glucose greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl with symptoms - excessive thirst or urination.
- HgbA1c greater than or equal to 6.5%
- 2 hour plasma glucose greater than or equal to 200 mg/dl after a 75-gm glucose load.
