Question

The postprandial glucose can be measured
a. Empty stomach
b. Any time
c. 2 hours after lunch/dinner
d. Early in the morning

Answer 1

Blood glucose tests include fasting blood sugar test, postprandial blood sugar, random blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, and hemoglobin A1c. The postprandial glucose test is the blood glucose test that is used to detect the glucose level in the plasma after the meal containing carbohydrates.

Complete answer:

Option (A) is incorrect. The postprandial glucose cannot be measured on an empty stomach because this test determines the amount of blood glucose after taking a carbohydrate enriched meal,

Option (B) is incorrect. The postprandial glucose cannot be measured anytime but it is only measured after the meal containing carbohydrate.

Option (C) is correct. The postprandial glucose can be measured 2 hours after lunch/dinner to check how the body responds to sugar and starch after eating the meal. Within two hours of eating, the insulin produced by the pancreas and blood glucose level should return to normal. If the glucose level is high even after two hours of eating, then it would indicate that the person has diabetes.

Option (D) is incorrect. The postprandial glucose cannot be measured early in the morning because, in the early morning, the person has not taken any meal, and to determine the blood glucose level, a person has to eat a meal containing carbohydrates.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: The term postprandial means ‘after the meal’. The postprandial glucose test is needed to check whether a person with diabetes is taking the right amount of insulin with meals. This test is performed 2 hours after lunch/dinner.