January 10, 2006
Other
Question from Lanark, Illinois, USA:
My two year old grandson is being tested to see if he has diabetes. I was concerned because they wanted him tested six times a day. Is it necessary to do it that many times in a day?
Answer:
Testing for diabetes is typically done with a fasting blood sugar or a two hour oral glucose tolerance test, both usually with a venous blood draw. For more information, you may wish to read our web page on the Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes.
MSB
Additional comments from Dr. David Schwartz:
While an oral glucose tolerance test can be quite definitive, perhaps the screening that your grandson’s doctor desires is to check glucose levels before and after breakfast, lunch, and dinner so as to assess his ability to make insulin both between and with/after meals to control the glucose levels.
DS
