Interesting news out of this weekend’s The American Diabetes Association meeting–the association is recommending a new standard in the way that doctors test for and diagnose diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes.

Currently, two tests are used to diagnose the condition.  The first is a fasting plasma glucose test in which patients fast for 12-14 hours before blood is drawn.  The second is a glucose tolerance test, where a patient drinks a sweet liquid solution and has blood drawn two hours later.

The new standard, called the A1C assay, will be far less inconvenient to patients, as it is a straightforward blood test requiring neither fasting nor imbibing icky liquids.  Instead of measuring glucose in the bloodstream, the A1C assay measures how much protein in the blood has been “glycated,” or fused with excess glucose that–because of diabetes–isn’t being processed by the body.

The association recommends that everyone over age 45 have this test, regardless of whether they display risk factors such as family history, weight problems, or blood pressure problems.

Read this article from CNN.com for more on this technique that may change the way diabetes is diagnosed. 

And check out our gallery of natural care tips for managing diabetes.

Do you think changes are called for in the way diabetes is diagnosed?