Glucose is a sugar that is transported through the blood of the human body as a fuel for the cells of the body to produce energy. Energy is required for all functions of the human body and is produced throughout the day depending on the amount of physical effort being put in by the individual. Glucose is absorbed into the blood stream in the digestive system. Here, food is broken down into its various components and these are passed into the body. Blood then flows around the body, nourishing the various parts of the body with glucose and other nutrients. Glucose is then used in a process known as metabolism to produce energy. This process combines glucose and oxygen to produce energy and heat, both of which are used in the human body.
Diabetes and similar conditions may lead to a situation where the individual's body is not able to access glucose that is flowing through the blood. This happens when the functioning or quantity of insulin in the body is deficient. An individual will, in such a situation, experience fatigue and weight loss. Weight loss happens as the body begins to burn fat for energy because it is starved of glucose.
The glucose tolerance test is a test used to check if the individual's body is tolerating his or her glucose intake based on the absorption of glucose from the blood into the body. The glucose tolerance test may be a 1 hour GTT test or a 3 hour GTT test.
The test begins on a fasting stomach. The patient's fasting blood sugar is calculated. The patient is then given a glucose drink with a specific quantity of glucose in it. The 1 hour GTT test is conducted after one hour to check the level of glucose in the blood. If this level is abnormal, the patient is made to take the 3 hour GTT test. This 3 hour GTT test is done to check if the patient's body is able to absorb the glucose over a longer period of time. If the patient fails the 3 hour GTT test, then he or she is considered to be diabetic. The 3 hour glucose tolerance test for hypoglycemia may also be conducted to check if the sugar levels have gone low in the individual.
Pregnancy is a condition that may cause temporary diabetes. Many women endure this problem during their pregnancies. The 3 hour glucose tolerance test in pregnancy is conducted to check for the same problem in women who are carrying a developing fetus.