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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffResults of the glucose tolerance test are given in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L).
Type 2 diabetes
If you're being tested for type 2 diabetes, two hours after drinking the glucose solution:
- A normal blood glucose level is lower than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L).
- A blood glucose level between 140 mg/dL and 199 mg/dL (7.8 and 11 mmol/L) is considered impaired glucose tolerance, or prediabetes. If you have prediabetes, you're at risk of eventually developing type 2 diabetes. You're also at risk of developing heart disease, even if you don't develop diabetes.
- A blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher may indicate diabetes.
If the results of your glucose tolerance test indicate type 2 diabetes, your doctor may repeat the test on another day or use another blood test to confirm the diagnosis. Various factors can affect the accuracy of the glucose tolerance test, including illness, activity level and certain medications.
Gestational diabetes
If you're being tested for gestational diabetes, your doctor will consider the results of each blood glucose test. If two or more of the tests are higher than normal, you'll be diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
- One hour after drinking the glucose solution, a normal blood glucose level is lower than 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L).
- Two hours after drinking the glucose solution, a normal blood glucose level is lower than 155 mg/dL (8.6 mmol/L).
- Three hours after drinking the glucose solution, a normal blood glucose level is lower than 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L).
If you're diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you can prevent complications by carefully managing your blood glucose level throughout the rest of your pregnancy.
- Glucose. Labtests Online. http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/glucose/test.html. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- Diagnosis of diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/diagnosis/diagnosis.pdf. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- What I need to know about gestational diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/gestational/gestationalDM.pdf. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- McCulloch DK. Screening for diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed May 28, 2010.
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