Glucose tolerance test

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Urine sample

Fasting glucose tolerance test

Oral glucose tolerance test

Overview

Risks

Results

Glucose tolerance test

Alternative Names:

Oral glucose tolerance test

What the risks are:

The risks of drawing blood from a vein include:

Excessive bleeding
Fainting or feeling lightheaded
Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Multiple punctures to locate veins

Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others.

Special considerations:

Interfering factors:

Acute stress (for example, from surgery or an infection)
Vigorous exercise

Several drugs may cause glucose intolerance, including the following:

Thiazide diuretics (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide)
Beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol)
Oral contraceptives
Corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone)
Some psychiatric medications

Before having the test, let your health care provider know if you are taking any of these medications.

Review Date: 8/12/2004
Reviewed By: Aniket R. Sidhaye, M.D., Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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