About this test

Diabetes is caused by excessive glucose or sugar remaining in the blood rather than getting into the cells for energy. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder whereby the pancreas fails to produce insulin, whereas type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by over-consumption of sugar, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Measuring blood sugar is a crucial part of the diagnosis and management of diabetes. In the early stages type 2 diabetes may be able to be reversed or managed through lifestyle changes, in particular through cutting down on sugar and losing weight. It its later stages it may need management through diabetes medication and eventually insulin.

Excessive sugar in the blood can lead to a number of problems, from nerve damage, kidney failure and blindness to even limb amputation. This is why monitoring blood sugar is so important to diagnose and monitor diabetes.

The Diabetes Check measures blood glucose as well as HbA1c (or glycosolated haemoglobin) which is a measure of the amount of sugar in the bloodstream over the previous 8 weeks or so.

Who is this test for?

This test is for individuals who wish to know whether they are showing the first signs of diabetes (raised blood sugar) or for people who have received a diagnosis of diabetes and who wish to test their blood sugar control.