Diagnostic tests

The American Diabetes Association recommends that all individuals age 45 and older, particularly those with a body mass index, or BMI, equal to or greater than 25, should be screened for diabetes--and if the test is normal, that they should be retested every three years. Testing should be conducted at earlier ages and carried out more frequently in individuals who have any of the diabetes risk factors.

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The ADA recommends that patients should be told they have diabetes if any of the criteria below applies:

• Blood glucose levels as measured by a fasting plasma glucose test are equal to or greater than 126 mg/dl.
• Diabetes symptoms exist and glucose levels measured at random are equal to or above 200 mg/dl.
• Glucose is equal to or greater than 200 mg/dl during an oral glucose tolerance test.
• If test results indicate diabetes, testing should be repeated on a different day to confirm the diagnosis. If a random blood test has found glucose equal to 200 mg/dl or above, the confirming test used should be a fasting plasma glucose or an oral glucose tolerance test.

This section has information on screening tests for diagnosing diabetes.