A fasting blood sugar test measures how efficiently a person manages his/her blood sugar (glucose levels). This simple and convenient test is usually performed to check diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. High levels of fasting sugar test indicate insulin resistance or diabetes. This test is also called the fasting glucose test.
A fasting blood test price is Rs.50 – Rs.300, depending on your location and place.
Please check the price of diabetes blood tests in Delhi/NCR, your nearby centers, and other details.
Test Summary
| Is Also known as | Blood sugar fasting, fasting glucose test |
| Test Type | Blood |
| Blood sugar fasting test includes | Monitoring your blood sugar level |
| Preparation | Fasting for 10-12 hrs. before the test |
| Reporting | Within 24 hrs |
| Test price | Blood sugar fasting test price is generally between Rs. 50 – 300 |
| Also included in | Health Insurance Plans |
| Related tests | HbA1c, kidney function test, liver function test |
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What is a Fasting Blood Sugar Test?
This is a simple and safe blood test to screen for diabetes, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes (during pregnancy). The fasting blood sugar time is 10-12 hours. You can’t drink or eat anything for at least 10-12 hrs. before the test.
Who should perform a Fasting Blood Sugar Test?
Healthcare professionals usually recommend this test under the following conditions.
- As a part of regular health check-ups to monitor a person’s blood sugar level
- For pregnant women to ensure that pregnancy hormones are not causing diabetes
- If a person has symptoms of diabetes like frequent urination, feeling thirsty, blurred vision, fatigue, etc.
- A family history of diabetes or obesity
- If your previous blood sugar level was higher than normal
How does Blood Glucose Work?
Blood sugar or glucose is the prime source of energy that is commonly found in your blood. Once you eat or drink, your body breaks down carbohydrates in the food or liquid into sugar for energy.
The pancreas produces insulin hormone that helps blood sugar enter your body’s cells. When your cells use blood sugar, glucose and insulin levels in the blood decrease gradually.
But if you have diabetes, your body can’t regulate glucose. Either your pancreas doesn’t produce adequate insulin, or your body can’t process insulin efficiently. Thus, the sugar level in your blood becomes higher than normal. A lot of glucose is harmful to your body.
A fasting blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in your blood when the value will be the lowest. This test is usually performed in the morning and you should avoid eating or drinking for at least 10-12hrs.
During the Test
A fasting blood sugar test draws a normal blood sample from your body. Let’s take a look at the test procedure.
- First, you need to visit your nearby labs or hospitals to perform the test
- A healthcare technician will clean the area inside your elbow to kill any germs
- Then, he will tie a plastic rubber band in your upper arm to identify the vein from which the sample should be taken
- Then, he will insert a small needle into the vein (preferably in the upper arm)
- Now, your collected blood sample will be kept in a tube
- The technician will remove the band and then the needle
- He will place a bandage on the punctured area
Once the test is completed, your sample will be sent to the lab for analysis and testing.
The Results and Interpretation
You will get your results on the same day or within 24 hours.
The results of the fasting blood sugar test can be explained in the following way.
- 99 mg/dL or lower: This is a normal blood sugar level
- 100–125 mg/dL: This range indicates that you have prediabetes. This portrays that your sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes.
- 126 mg/dL or above: This indicates you are having diabetes
If your fasting blood sugar level is on the higher side, your healthcare provider will ask you to repeat the test to make sure. If you have prediabetes, your doctor will advise repeating the fasting blood sugar test every year or two. The results will give him an idea of whether you are developing type-2 diabetes or not.
FAQs
Can you do the fasting blood sugar test at home?
The markets are crammed with several kits that will help you to test your fasting blood sugar level. But they can’t be used to diagnose diabetes. The results may not be accurate as compared to the test that will be performed by a professional lab expert. Several factors may influence the accuracy.
1. Environmental conditions
2. Unclear skin
3. Expired or damaged test kits
4. Not adequate blood in the testing sample
Are 12 hours of fasting required for the blood sugar test?
A 10-12 hrs. of fasting is required for the test. This test is used to screen for diabetes or prediabetes based on the measurement of glucose (sugar) in the blood after a certain period of not eating.
Can I drink water before the fasting blood sugar test?
You shouldn’t drink any other beverages except water for several hours before this test.
Can lack of sleep affect the fasting blood sugar test?
Inadequate sleep will increase your blood sugar level in the blood. Even partial sleep deprivation over one night enhances insulin resistance that can uplift the blood sugar levels.
Why do diabetics wake up in the middle of the night?
Most patients who have diabetes wake up around 3 pm every night not because of noise or anything else, but because of the sudden spike in the blood sugar level. This happens because of two reasons- the Somogyi effect or the dawn phenomenon.
