Last May my family dr. told me that I was borderline for diabetes and that my "bloodwork" was a 100. I don't know what kind of bloodwork.
Then in October my podiatrist was wondering about possible arthritis and did a lot of blood work - there is one called "glucose" which I assume is the diabetes - it was a 98.
Just yesterday I went to CVS because they are doing free bloodwork for diabetes testing. It was a finger prick compared to a lab in the past where they actually draw blood. On the finger prick she said I was an 80 - and that's fine. That I want to be between 50-90.
My question is - how reliable is the finger prick? The test was at 9:30 in the morning and I had not eaten since 7pm the night before.
With my other 2 labs - I had them around 8:30 to 9am with nothing to eat the night before either -
Just wondering. My family Dr. won't do another lab until May.
I know losing weight is the best thing to avoid diabetes for me....but am still wondering if that finger prick was accurate?
Sorry to be so ignorant on the subject. I know kids with diabetes that understand it so well and manage it very well. Bless their little hearts.

First let me say that losing weight and getting exercise are great ways to make a difference... So you are definitely right about working towards continuing to lose weight being one of the best things you can do for yourself...

So it sounds like the 100 was a fasting blood glucose number that you got from your doctor... And now, most doctors want to see fasting blood sugars below 100... So as you can see 100 is right at the very beginning of what is now being considered "borderline" territory...

And as far as finger sticks... They are very accurate... It is what we use in hospitals to determine how much insulin to give patients... and of course, it's how people test at home to manage their diabetes...

Definitely talk with your doctor about what these numbers mean for you... and of course doing some research on line could be helpful in gaining a better understanding of blood sugar numbers... Some places I would start would be some google searches like... "What are normal blood sugar numbers" "Prediabetes" and "Reversing Prediabetes" also checking out the ADA site, and maybe the Mayo Clinic site or WebMD might be helpful as well... as a start...

Thanks Trip!!!!!

chickadee, there are several numbers that may be needed to make a diagnosis for you. If the tests you had were fasting, (that is you had not eaten yet that morning of the blood draws) then 100 or below is usually normal.
the A1C test is a test of how a sugar molecule attaches to your hemaglobin, and gives a "picture" of how your blood sugars were over the 3 preceding months. It should be below 6.0 %.
however, usually, if a doctor is concerned, they will do a full glucose tolerance test, taking a fasting blood sugar, and then instead of eating you drink a set glucose drink with 75 or 100 grams of glucose in it, and test one and two hours later to see how your body responds. Your doctor then looks at this response to determine your status. Most doctors would not make a diagnosis without more information.
A fingerprick test uses a different measure but is usually accurate. Its most accurate when you use the same meter (machine) and check it against the lab values from time to time. They will be slightly different but close.

I am "prediabetic" and am working to prevent myself from becoming diabetic through diet and exercise and taking a medication called metformin. I see my doctor and diabetic education regularly.
reading about this may be helpful, there is a "for dummies" book out, and a website called bloodsugar101.com that may be helpful for you too.

Good luck!

Thank you! Good stuff.

Hi I have been recently diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes on Dec 26, 2012. Since then I have lowered my carbs. The good thing is that with the help of medications and lowering my carbs my sugar went from 389 to 124. I am also eating alot less than I use to. The only problem I am having is losing weight. I am eating more healthy and a have started exercising more. Any advise anyone?

Hi, how many carbs are you eating?
right now I am eating about 30-40 carbs a day, and I feel great, for example today for breakfast I had some unsalted roasted almonds, about 1/4 cup, then 1 square of light cheddar cheese, then 30 min. later I had an egg,scrambled with some more light cheddar melted on top, I feel full and my sugars are great, 5.5 right now, I feel better than I have in awhile;ther are many hidden carbs like in veggies for example 1 cup of green beans has 7 carbs, but since it is low carb it is okay to have, most veggies are safe but stay away from the starchy ones like corn, sweet potatoes,peas, you can have these but only once in a while perhaps a small amount added to other veggies; going low card will work for you to lose weight, but once you start, don't go back to eating too many carbs, as flour products are your enemy right now, if your sugars go too low have something you like for example I had 1/3 of my fav. chocolate bar (wunderbar), and it helped plus it did not hurt my sugars, glucose tablets are the best thing to have around, but they do go bad if you don't use them up, also a small amount of Coke or Pepsi is good to raise sugars quickly just don't go overboard, which is why I keep things like chocolate around.
good luck to you, and head on over to the diabetic forum as their knowledge is very good

Hi Chickadee - You are smart to start gathering info now. I was diagnosed with type 2 while in the hospital having heart surgery. The surgeon told me that the surgery tends to raise your blood sugar and it eventually goes back to normal. Mine dropped considerably and by the time I left the hospital I was on Metformin with no insulin but it never went back to normal. When I went to my PCP for a follow-up I asked him how I could become diabetic because he checks my glucose with my other bloodwork all the time and his reply was "You were getting up there." So apparently my glucose readings were gradually increasing but he didn't tell me. I guess he was waiting until I had full-blown diabetes, which I feel was a disservice to me.

You could go to Target or Walmart and get an inexpensive glucose meter and strips and start testing at home. If you test 2 hours after a meal, eventually you will learn what raises your glucose and what doesn't. As other have said, anything white (flour, sugar, rice, pasta) is not your friend. Taking a walk after dinner will encourage your body to use your insulin effectively. And losing weight is a big factor.

Good luck to you.

slmn11... When I read your post that your doctor had said "You were getting up there"... he definitely did you a disservice... and it brings up a very good point... that there are things that people can do to delay or even possibly prevent the progression to diabetes... and early intervention could possibly make a real difference in the ultimate outcome...