If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes and are undergoing treatment you may wish to know more about the blood tests you are having.

You can do this with a free, on-line information service, Lab Tests On-Line Australasia. By clicking onto labtestsonline.org.au you can find information about a range of tests relating to diabetes from screening tests through to those monitoring treatment.

An estimated 75 percent of all medical diagnoses are based on pathology tests but for most of us what goes on behind the lab door remains a mystery. labtestsonline.org.au can help explain what is being tested and why.

The fasting blood glucose level is used to screen for and diagnose diabetes. This measures the “normal” levels of glucose in your blood. It is collected after an 8 to a maximum of 16 hr fast because after you have something to eat, glucose levels rise quickly and only fall as the insulin your body produces to help the glucose transfer from the bloodstream to the body’s cells comes into force. Sometimes your doctor will ask for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT / GTT). In this test you are given a glucose drink to take and your blood levels are tested before and after.

Another common test that might be requested is the HbA1c. As glucose circulates in your blood, some of it spontaneously binds to haemoglobin -- the protein that carries oxygen in your red blood cells. This combination is called haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The amount of HbA1c formed is directly related to the amount of glucose in your blood. If your diabetes is not well controlled, your blood glucose levels are high, causing higher HbA1c levels. HbA1c levels do not change quickly since red blood cells live for 3-4 months. Because of this, the amount of HbA1c in your blood reflects the average amount of glucose in your blood during the last few months.

Insulin and C-peptide levels also may be tested to monitor the amount of insulin your body is producing and help determine if you need to start taking insulin injections to supplement oral medications.

On labtestsonline.org.au you’ll find information about what is being tested and why on tests such as: glucose, insulin, C-peptide, microalbumin, HbA1c, creatinine, creatinine clearance, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid profile, cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and diabetes-related autoantibodies.

When we are ill we are often least able to absorb the often complex advice we are receiving. This is a time when labtestsonline.org.au can provide an on-going source of accurate and impartial information. Having the right information and an understanding of what is happening can help us play an active part in our health care, and help us stick with our treatment and medication.

The information on labtestsonline.org.au has been prepared by pathologists and scientists working in diagnostic laboratories – so you can be assured that it’s accurate.

It has been developed by the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists with support from the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia to help redress a lack of reliable information and to ensure that everyone has access to accurate, non-commercially skewed information. Development funding has been provided by the Australian Government.

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