October 6, 2006
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Memphis, Tennessee, USA:
I am a 20 year old female, tall (5 feet, 7 inches) and very thin. Recently, I have been losing weight and am now under 100 pounds. I have also been thirsty, very hungry and urinating more than usual. I went to my general practitioner today and had a urine test, a fingerstick test, and blood drawn. My urine was negative for ketones and glucose and my fingerstick was around 150 mg/dl [8.3 mmol/L] more than four hours after eating a very small meal. My doctor said this was “surprisingly high” for having not eaten for a few hours. I am awaiting results from A1c, CBC and TSH tests. Is 150 mg/dl within normal range for non-fasting? Should I be concerned?
Answer:
It does not sound like you have had the definitive test which is a fasting glucose. The capillary blood sugars done by fingerstick are not sufficiently precise to help with a diagnosis. The A1c is not used to make the diagnosis. I would recommend a fasting glucose level from a blood sample drawn from your arm.
JTL
