MyHealthPEI Education Resource – Glucose Panel

Why was a Glucose panel ordered?

A glucose panel is a blood test that checks how much sugar (called glucose) is in your blood. It includes different types of tests, such as:

• Fasting blood sugar (FBS) or fasting blood glucose (FBG): Done after not eating for a while.
• Random blood sugar (RBS) or random blood glucose (RBG): Done at any time of day.
• 2-hour postprandial blood sugar test: Done two hours after eating.
• Hemoglobin A1c Test: Shows your average blood sugar over a few months.
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT): Checks how your body handles sugar over time.

Sometimes, a result might be a little outside the normal range, but that doesn’t always mean something is wrong. If you’re worried, please follow your usual steps for asking health care questions, as recommended by your health care providers.

When is a Glucose panel used?

Health care providers use a glucose panel to:

• Determine if your blood sugar is higher or lower than normal and develop a treatment plan.
• Check for pre-diabetes and diabetes.
• Track how well diabetes treatment is working.
• Check for gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
• Monitor your health when you have certain chronic diseases.

What is most important in a Glucose panel?

• Glucose: This is the sugar your body uses for energy. It comes from foods like bread, fruit, and pasta.
• Insulin: A hormone that helps your body use glucose.

For some tests, like the fasting blood sugar test, you may need to avoid eating or drinking for a certain amount of time. Be sure to follow your health care provider’s instructions.

What could a Glucose panel find?

Your health care provider will look at your results based on your age, health, and other things like pregnancy or past illnesses. A glucose value that isn't in the normal range may still be normal for you.

•  Normal glucose levels: Your blood sugar is within a healthy range.
• High glucose levels: Can be caused by diabetes, stress, or other health problems (like severe stress, heart attack, or stroke).
• Low glucose levels: Could be caused by certain diseases (like hypothyroidism or liver disease), not eating enough, or diabetes medicine.

This page is just for information. Always talk to your health care provider if you have questions.