It all starts with a suspicion. Perhaps you know you’re at risk and have noticed that you’re experiencing one or more of the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. What should you do next? The most important thing to do is to take action. If you really do have this condition, getting a diagnosis for Type 2 diabetes means that you’ll also get the treatment you need. Every day you live with high blood sugar means more damage to your body, so don’t delay. Begin by making an appointment with your doctor.

How Diagnosis For Type 2 Diabetes Works

There are several tests that can be used in the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The easiest way to get a diagnosis is with a blood test. Your doctor may also ask for a urine sample to look for glucose or ketones in your urine, but a diagnosis of diabetes can only be made with a blood test.

Glycated Haemoglobin Test

Your doctor will usually begin by recommending a blood test for glycated haemoglobin. It’s also known as an HbA1c test. The results will show what your average blood sugar levels have been like over the last two to three months. The results come back either as number (measured in mmol/mol) or a percentage.

If your test result comes back with a result indicating a value lower than 42 mmol/mol or 6 percent, you can relax. That’s normal.

42-47 mmol/mol or 6.0 to 6.5 percent indicates prediabetes (or non-diabetic hyperglycaemia). It’s actually quite good news because you don’t have diabetes yet. You can turn this around with a healthy diet and exercise. For most people, losing a bit of weight will be a big help. You definitely shouldn’t relax. Prediabetes can become Type 2 diabetes, but since you know where you stand, you can take positive action.

Over 47 mmol/mol or 6.5 percent, on the other hand, means that you probably do have Type 2 diabetes. Your doctor is likely to ask for a second blood test just to make absolutely sure.

This particular blood test is usually very accurate. That’s because it determines how much glucose has attached itself to the haemoglobin in your blood. When glucose attaches to haemoglobin, it stays there for up to four months. Because of this, the test shows your average blood sugar over time instead of just taking a snapshot of what it’s like at the moment the sample was collected. It also means it won’t be affected by what you have just eaten and you don’t need to fast before the test.

Fasting Blood Glucose Test

Blood glucose tests measure how much glucose you have in your blood at a particular time. For a fasting blood test, you’d skip breakfast and go for your blood test during the morning.  

This test expresses your blood glucose level in millimoles per litre (mmol/L) or in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL). A fasting blood glucose above 7 mmol/L or 126 mg/dL is a sign of diabetes.

How is Type 2 diabetes diagnosed in the UK? It’s usually the trusty HbA1c test.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Oral glucose tolerance tests are often used to screen pregnant women for gestational diabetes, but they can be used to test for Type 2 diabetes. For this test, you fast before being given a special sugary drink. Over a period of about two hours, your blood is tested to see how your body is reacting to the extra sugar.

Kidney Function Tests

Kidney function tests aren’t ordinarily used to diagnose Type 2 diabetes, but if you have had undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes for some time, your kidneys may have been affected. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor is likely to recommend that you go for kidney tests too.

What to Do if You’re Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes

Nobody likes hearing bad news, but once you have your diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, you definitely shouldn’t despair. Although it’s going to come as a shock, there’s an upside. Now that you know you have Type 2 diabetes, you can fight back. You may even be able to reach a point where your insulin sensitivity starts to improve and you don’t need medication to help you - although you’ll always have to be careful.

Meanwhile, you’ll get the treatment you need to prevent further damage caused by high blood sugar levels. If you hadn’t gone for your tests, it would have just gone on unabated.

All the same, it’s a wake-up call that you should attend to your affairs if you haven’t been keeping them in order. Nobody lives forever, and you may have a family who is relying on you for its financial health. Life insurance provides the answer - but it isn’t always an easy answer if you already have Type 2 diabetes.

Most insurers will take their time deciding whether they really want to give you cover. In most cases, it takes months! While you’re shopping around, check out Blueberry Life's insurance for people living with chronic conditions. We’ve got your back! Get specialist life cover fast - and stay tuned for helpful information to help you safeguard your health. Start your application today and watch us spring into action. All you need is 5 minutes to tell us about yourself.

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Reviewed by Dr. Kingshuk Pal