Glucose Tolerance Test

A Glucose Tolerance Test is used to test for diabetes, hypoglycaemia and faults in sugar metabolism. The testees blood sugar[?] level is tested at hourly intervals before and after the administration of a large quantity of glucose drink.

A GTT must be administered to a fasting patient so they are usually done early in the morning.

A standard GTT lasts for two hours and that is sufficient to diagnose diabetes, but sometimes a three, four or five hour test may be necessary to pinpoint a longer-term problem such as slow-acting hypoglycaemia.