Literally, “diabetes mellitus“ means “sweet urine” or sugar in the urine. The Greek people called it so because they found the urine of people suffering from this disease sweet. All modern diabetes diagnosis tests aim at finding the sugar levels in the urine and in blood.

In suspected cases of diabetes- where there are symptoms like delayed wound healing, frequency of micturition, and weight loss- two types of blood tests are good enough to establish the diagnosis. If any of these tests are positive for diabetes, the diabetes diagnosis tests are repeated a few times to reconfirm and reach the final diagnosis of diabetes. 

• Fasting blood sugar level measures glucose levels after an overnight fast.
• Postprandial blood glucose estimation assesses glucose levels after meals, typically 1-2 hours later.
• Random blood sugar measures blood glucose levels at any time of the day, regardless of fasting.
• Serum glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) reflects average blood sugar levels over 2-3 months.
• Urine sugar detects sugar presence in urine, indicating high blood sugar.
• Serum fructosamine measures blood glucose control over 2-3 weeks.
• Glucose tolerance test evaluates glucose metabolism over time using a glucose solution and blood sugar measurements.

It is true; because type 2 diabetes often does not cause any symptoms or consequences in its early stages, it is often only found during regular checkups. People often express concern that their wounds aren’t healing and they’re always thirsty. Another telltale sign of diabetes is this.

The kidneys are a particular organ in the human body. When there’s too much sugar in the blood, this organ releases it in urine. The kidneys are the body’s safety mechanism. For sugar to be detected in the urine, the blood sugar level must be 180 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or above. It occurs because sugar levels over 180 mg induce the kidneys to begin excreting sugar in the urine. At this stage, a sugar test for urine will return positive.

Two techniques exist for determining the amount of glucose in the blood. One way is to use a glucometer to prick the pulp of the finger, and another is to collect blood and have it tested in a lab. As opposed to the latter, you may do the former in the comfort of one’s own home. One’s finger is pricked, and blood drops are taken to determine one’s blood sugar level. Blood samples for glucose testing are often taken from the vein in the elbow. There is a ten percent margin of error between the two. The finger approach yields an underestimate because blood may have been diluted by tissue fluid.

Blood samples are drawn from the forearm’s veins in front of the elbow joint after twelve hours of fasting. It is tested for blood glucose (or sugar in colloquial language). Diabetes likely exists if the result is far more than 100 mg/dl. Our average blood sugar level is 70-100 mg/dl. 

After breakfast, blood is drawn to evaluate glucose levels two hours later. When the number is more significant than 140 mg/dl, diabetes is suspected. Normal reading is 100-140 mg/dl.

In many cases, diabetes can be diagnosed by a single blood estimation, which may be used as a confirmatory test when classic symptoms suggest the diagnosis. Random blood sugar samples can be taken at any time. If random blood sugar exceeds (>200 mg/dl), it almost confirms the diagnosis. 

As the glucose level in the blood rises, more of it gets attached to the hemoglobin (pigment in blood cells that carries oxygen), and the combined molecule is chemically called glycosylated hemoglobin. It shows the general trend of glucose levels throughout the previous several months in the blood. In average persons, the values are 4-7%, while in people with diabetes, it is in the range of 8-18% of the total hemoglobin, depending on the blood sugar levels. 

The passing of glucose in the urine is called glycosuria. Usually, glucose is passed into the urine when blood sugar levels exceed 180 mg/dl. However, in a few cases, glucose may be passed in the urine, but the glucose level in the blood remains normal. This happens because of some renal problem. Secondly, glycosuria is common during pregnancy due to the increased load of glucose present in the tubule by the elevated GFR (glomerular filtration rate). 

Apart from glucose, others reduce sugar as lactose (in lactating women) unrelated to diabetes, which can also give rise to false positive results. Therefore, the value of blood glucose is more reliable, and urine sugar tests alone should not be used to diagnose diabetes. Urine sugar can easily be measured using available heuristics (diagnostic strips). A change in the strip’s color indicates a sugar level in the urine. 

It gives us an idea about the blood glucose levels of the previous two weeks. It is helpful in certain conditions, such as pregnancy – where a 2-3 month interval may not be optimal. But economically, it may only sometimes be viable. 

This Test must be carried out after 12 hours of overnight fasting. To begin, a blood sample is drawn from the subject while fasting to ascertain their blood sugar level. Afterwards, the patient is given 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water by mouth. 

After that, blood samples are taken at regular intervals of half an hour over the next three hours to determine the amount of glucose in the blood. The outcome of this Test indicates that a certain kind of graph will be generated. This graph demonstrates how glucose causes an increase in insulin production. 

Standard methods do not detect the number of ketone bodies usually passed by healthy persons. The nitroprusside reaction can detect high amounts excreted in the urine, which is carried out using ace test tablets. If both ketonuria and glycosuria (glucose in the urine) are found, the diagnosis of diabetes is practically unavoidable. 

Although there are conditions other than diabetic ketoacidemia when ketone bodies appear in urine, like starvation, high fat diet, fever, and alcoholic ketoacidosis in which metabolic requirements are increased. 

It is the first signal of kidney (renal) complications. It can be detected using routine dipstick examination (average individual excrete < 30 mg of protein/ day), but it will only be detected if the amount is more than this. 

When albumin (a type of protein) excretion is 30-300 mg/day in urine, it is called microalbuminuria. Normal individuals excrete less than 30mg/day of albumin. 

A blood specimen is taken at one-hour intervals to determine the quantity of urea that is “cleared” by the kidneys and passed into the urine. A high blood urea level indicates kidney dysfunction. 

This diabetes diagnosis test detects the levels of creatinine in the blood, which is a consequence of the metabolism of energy in the muscles. Like urea, the kidneys remove creatinine from the blood and pass it out of the body in the urine. When kidney function is normal, there is not much fluctuation in the quantity of creatinine found in the blood; it is considered normal. However, if the kidneys are damaged, their level also gets affected. 

One might choose to test one’s urine for diabetes using paper sticks regularly. These sticks are easy to get by in the marketplace.  You may drop one of these sticks to find out whether sugar is in your urine. There are many diabetes diagnosis tests your physician will suggest. You may have your urine tested, but if your blood glucose level is 180 or more, the findings will be considered positive. This Test, however, cannot be used as a stand-alone diabetes diagnosis test.