Which diagnostic test involves administering a measured dose of glucose to a fasting stomach and measuring blood glucose levels to detect diabetes?

• A. Hematocrit (Hct)
• B. Glucose Tolerance Test
• C. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)
• D. Fecal Occult Blood Test

Answer: (B)

Evaluating how the body handles a glucose load after fasting is the core idea. The test that does this is the Glucose Tolerance Test, where after fasting a person drinks a measured glucose solution and blood glucose is checked at intervals (typically at 2 hours, sometimes earlier and/or later). This shows how efficiently insulin helps clear glucose from the blood and is used to diagnose diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, including gestational diabetes in pregnant individuals. The other tests don’t assess how the body processes glucose: hematocrit measures the proportion of red blood cells, hCG detects pregnancy, and fecal occult blood tests screen for hidden blood in stool.