Diabetes screening can detect prediabetes and diabetes as early as possible. At TRiiBE Medical LLC, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, skilled medical care providers focus heavily on preventive health and wellness, including diabetes screening. Uloma Ibe, MD, and Abimbola Hillard, CRNP, offer simple diabetes screening tests in the office, allowing you to find out what you need to know and then make the right treatment choices to protect your health. Call the office or book your appointment online today.
Diabetes screening tests whether you have prediabetes, Type 1 diabetes, or Type 2 diabetes. You may need diabetes screening as part of routine preventive care or because you have risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing it.
There are several types of diabetes screening tests, including:
A1C testing measures a blood sugar average over the last couple of months. A healthy AIC level is below 5.7%.
An A1C level of 5.7-6.4% indicates prediabetes, and an A1C level of 6.5% or higher means you have diabetes.
A fasting blood sugar test checks your blood sugar level after fasting. You’ll typically have this test in the morning after fasting all night.
A healthy fasting blood sugar level is 99 mg/dL or lower. 100-125 mg/dL means you have prediabetes and 126 or greater indicates diabetes.
An oral glucose tolerance test involves drinking a liquid with a high concentration of glucose. You’ll fast before the test, and you’ll have a blood draw to establish your fasting blood sugar.
After drinking the liquid, you’ll have additional blood sugar level checks at one and two hours (and three hours, if needed). Your provider compares these numbers with your fasting blood sugar level. At two hours, a blood sugar level of 140 mg/dL is healthy, 140-199 means you have prediabetes, and 200 mg/dL or greater signifies diabetes.
A random blood sugar test doesn’t require fasting, so you can have this test at any time. A random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL indicates diabetes.
While these are the most common tests to diagnose Type 2 diabetes, you might need other tests, including an autoantibody blood test or a urine test to check for specific signs of Type 1 diabetes.
If you have diabetes, TRiiBE Medical LLC can create a diabetes management plan tailored to your needs. In many cases, Type 2 diabetes is very manageable with lifestyle changes, weight loss, blood sugar monitoring, and healthy eating. You may also need medication to control your blood sugar levels.
If you have Type 1 diabetes, you’ll need to take insulin injections or use an insulin pump every day to stay healthy. TRiiBE Medical LLC can coordinate your care with an endocrinologist (a diabetes specialist) if necessary.
Schedule your diabetes screening by calling TRiiBE Medical LLC or book online today.