Describe the criteria that are currently used to diagnose diabetes

Answer 1

?The diagnosis of diabetes is based primarily on plasma glucose levels, which can be measured under fasting conditions or at random times during the day. In some cases, an oral glucose tolerance test is given: the individual ingests a 75-gram glucose load, and plasma glucose is measured at one or more time intervals following glucose ingestion. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, which reflect hemoglobin's exposure to glucose over the preceding 2-3 months, are an indirect assessment of blood glucose levels. The following criteria are currently used to diagnose diabetes: the plasma glucose concentration is 126 mg/dL or higher after a fast of at least 8 hours (normal fasting plasma glucose levels are 75-100 mg/dL); in a person with classic symptoms of hyperglycemia, the plasma glucose concentration of a random, or casual, blood sample is 200 mg/dL or higher; the plasma glucose concentration measured 2 hours after a 75-gram glucose load is 200 mg/dL or higher; and/or the HbA1c level is 6.5 percent or higher. Overt symptoms of hyperglycemia help to confirm the diagnosis. Otherwise, a diagnosis of diabetes is confirmed only if a subsequent test yields similar results.