Why Take the Three Hour Glucose Test?

The 3 hour glucose test is a test that you can take to find out whether or not you have diabetes. Often the 3 hour glucose tolerance test is taken after an initial screening test. The glucose screening will take one hour and there will be no special requirements for it – you can just go to the doctor’s office when you have time and take the screening.

The 3 hour glucose test requires fasting the night before and a carbohydrate rich diet for the days before that.

The screening test and the 3 hour glucose test both begin the same way. You take a drink of a solution which is rich in glucose (so rich that in some cases you may feel dizzy or faint shortly after drinking it). In the screening test you have a blood sample taken after an hour to see if your body breaks down glucose at a normal speed.

If the glucose level in your body is higher than normal at the end of the screening test, you will be called back to take the 3 hour glucose test. The 3 hour glucose tolerance test is similar, except you give blood samples and urine samples every hour for three hours. From the 3 hour glucose tolerance test you can get a diagnosis and tell whether or not you have diabetes. Continue reading…