What is involved with the screening test?
For the screening test, women are asked to drink a 50-gram sugar soda within 5 minutes time. Their blood is drawn 1 hour later. They do not have to fast for this test and there are no special dietary restrictions. Women should remain seated throughout the entire hour and should not smoke. If the 1-hour test is abnormal (equal to or greater than 140 mg/dl but less than 200 mg/dl), a 3-hour glucose tolerance test is needed. This blood test is done in the morning. The woman must fast for 8 hours (but not more than 12). A fasting blood sugar test is obtained. Next, the 100-gram sugar drink is consumed within 5 minutes. Blood is drawn at 1, 2 and 3 hours after the drink. The patient should remain seated during the entire test.
