What common clinical test is used to evaluate diabetes?

Fasting blood glucose is a widely used clinical test to evaluate diabetes because it directly measures the glucose level in the blood after a period of fasting, typically 8 hours. Elevated fasting blood glucose levels can indicate impaired glucose metabolism, a hallmark of diabetes.

This test helps in diagnosing both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, along with assessing the effectiveness of management strategies in patients already diagnosed with the condition. Guidelines suggest specific thresholds for diagnosing diabetes based on fasting glucose levels, making it a crucial and reliable tool for clinicians.

Although other tests like the complete blood count, electrolyte panel, and liver function tests may be useful in holistic patient evaluation or in monitoring general health, they do not specifically assess glucose metabolism and, therefore, are not suitable for diagnosing diabetes.