Q: I have a question on Diabetes. Are there different methods for calculating the blood glucose level. A couple of months before my mother (she is not diabetic) got her blood sugar levels tested and she got a reading of 98mg (PP ). This was done at the lab of a very famous diabetologist in chennai. Yesterday she went to one of the most famous and old labs of chennai and got her blood glucose level tested. Her pp level was 220mg. When asked in the lab of the famous doctor, they said that there are different methods of calculating blood glucose and hence the difference. Can you tell us whether this is true. We basically assume that blood glucose level should be somewhat matching even if you do it more than one lab.Thankscognos

A:To my knowledge, different methods of calculating blood glucose should not give such a wide variation in the test results. However, the blood sample is handled by humans, and human error can always occur! Since the two teststell you diametrically opposite things: the first that she does not have diabetes, and the second that she does, I suggest you get fasting and PP glucose tests done from a good lab (!): in this case, maybe divide thesample into two, and give to both these labs, for a confirmation of her status. Tell them what you are doing, so both sets of samples are handled with extra care!