Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) in Dehradun

What is a Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS)?

A Fasting Blood Sugar test measures the glucose circulating in your blood after 8 to 12 hours without food. The fast is what gives the number meaning: with no recent meal to raise it, the level reflects how well your body maintains its baseline, which depends on the liver releasing glucose steadily overnight and insulin restraining it. In healthy metabolism those two balance and the morning value sits below 100 mg/dL. When cells stop responding properly to insulin, the balance tips and the fasting value drifts up, which is why it is the standard first-line screen for diabetes. The three bands matter: below 100 is normal, 100 to 125 is prediabetes, and 126 or above on two separate occasions meets the definition of diabetes. Prediabetes is the band worth caring about most, because it is common, silent, and genuinely reversible with weight loss and activity. A single high reading is not a diagnosis; it is repeated, and usually paired with HbA1c, which reflects the average over roughly three months and so is not thrown off by one unusual day.

Why take this test?

FBS is advised for the classic warning symptoms of diabetes: unusual thirst, passing urine frequently including at night, unexplained weight loss, persistent tiredness, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, or recurrent skin and urinary infections. Beyond symptoms, it should be a routine annual check from around age 30 for anyone with a family history of diabetes, weight carried around the middle, high blood pressure, abnormal lipids, polycystic ovary syndrome, or a previous pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes. Indians develop type 2 diabetes younger and at lower body weights than most other populations, so a normal build is not a reason to defer testing. It is also the standard number for monitoring known diabetes alongside HbA1c, and it is included in most full-body checkups. Diabetes typically causes no symptoms at all for years while it quietly damages kidneys, nerves, eyes and arteries, which is the entire argument for screening rather than waiting.

• Excess thirst, frequent urination, or urination at night
• Unexplained weight loss, fatigue or blurred vision
• Slow-healing wounds or recurrent skin and urinary infections
• Family history of diabetes, or weight around the middle
• High blood pressure, abnormal lipids or PCOS
• A previous pregnancy affected by gestational diabetes

Normal reference ranges

Ranges are indicative for adults. Your report carries the lab-specific reference range and is reviewed by a LabONE pathologist; always interpret results with your doctor.

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