Fasting sugar, post-meal sugar, and HbA1c bundled for a fuller picture than any single glucose reading.
The diabetes test panel bundles fasting blood sugar, post-prandial (after-meal) sugar, and HbA1c to give a fuller picture of blood sugar control than a single reading ever could.
Fasting sugar shows your baseline after not eating. Post-prandial sugar shows how your body handles glucose after a meal. HbA1c shows your average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months, making it far more useful than either single-point reading for tracking long-term control.
Standard diagnostic ranges — your doctor interprets your specific result alongside your full history.
| Category | HbA1c Level | Average Blood Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Below 5.7% | Below 117 mg/dL |
| Prediabetes | 5.7% – 6.4% | 117 – 137 mg/dL |
| Diabetes | 6.5% or higher | 140 mg/dL or higher |
General reference ranges — a single test is usually confirmed with a repeat test before diagnosis, and your doctor interprets results alongside your symptoms and history.
We don't charge anything for the referral. This is roughly what labs in past referrals have charged.
Single test, no other markers.
Both readings in one visit.
All three tests bundled together.
For ongoing monitoring, no fasting needed.
Tell us which tests you need and your pincode.
Someone who's already used a lab nearby.
Which lab they used, cost, and how it went.
Contact the lab directly — we're not involved.
"My doctor mentioned my last fasting sugar was borderline and suggested getting HbA1c checked too. Wasn't sure which lab was reliable for that specific test, so I asked around — a neighbour managing prediabetes for a year pointed me to her lab. Reassuring to know the results would be handled by someone experienced with this exact test."
Understanding your blood sugar requires more than a single reading — this guide covers each test in the diabetes panel in depth, what the numbers actually mean, and how often to test depending on your situation.
HbA1c measures the percentage of your red blood cells' haemoglobin that has sugar attached — since red blood cells live about 2-3 months, this gives a reliable average unaffected by what you ate that morning or how stressed you were that day. This is why HbA1c is considered more clinically useful than a single fasting or post-meal reading for understanding overall control, and why it's the standard test for both diagnosing diabetes and monitoring existing treatment.
Fasting blood sugar, taken after at least 8 hours without food, shows your baseline glucose level when your body isn't actively processing a recent meal. Post-prandial blood sugar (PPBS), typically taken 2 hours after eating, shows how effectively your body processes glucose from food — someone can have normal fasting sugar but an elevated post-meal spike, which is why testing both gives a more complete picture than either alone.
Anyone with a family history of diabetes, unexplained fatigue, excessive thirst or urination, or unexplained weight change should discuss diabetes testing with a doctor. Adults over 45, or younger adults with risk factors like obesity or a sedentary lifestyle, are commonly advised to test periodically even without symptoms, since type 2 diabetes often develops silently before symptoms appear.
Diagnosed diabetics are often advised to get HbA1c checked roughly every 3 months to track how well a treatment plan is working, since this interval aligns with the roughly 3-month window HbA1c actually reflects — testing more frequently doesn't give meaningfully new information, since the number won't have shifted much in a shorter window. Your doctor may recommend a different interval based on how stable your levels are and how recently your treatment plan changed.
For fasting sugar and PPBS, 8-10 hours without food (water is fine) is standard — an early morning appointment after an overnight fast is the simplest way to meet this without disrupting your day significantly. HbA1c doesn't require fasting at all, so it can be combined with either fasting or non-fasting visits without affecting its own accuracy.
Illness, significant stress, certain medications (including some steroids), and recent intense physical activity can all temporarily affect blood sugar readings — this is part of why a single unusual result often prompts a repeat test rather than an immediate diagnosis, and why sharing your full context with the lab or doctor genuinely helps accurate interpretation.
Whether you're testing for the first time based on a doctor's suggestion, or managing an existing diagnosis with regular monitoring, the hardest part is often just finding a lab you trust for accurate, timely results. A referral from a nearby patient who's already navigated this removes most of that uncertainty. Share your pincode, see who's already found their lab, and take it from there.
Typically every 3 months for HbA1c monitoring, though your doctor may recommend a different frequency based on your specific case.
It measures average blood sugar over the past 2-3 months by looking at how much sugar has attached to your red blood cells, rather than a single-point reading.
Fasting blood sugar requires fasting; post-prandial is taken after a meal; HbA1c doesn't require fasting at all — the lab coordinates timing for all three in one visit.
6.5% or higher is generally diagnostic for diabetes, 5.7-6.4% indicates prediabetes, and below 5.7% is considered normal — always confirmed with your doctor.
Yes — illness, stress, certain medications, and recent intense exercise can temporarily affect readings, which is why unusual results are often repeated before diagnosis.
Adults over 45, or younger adults with risk factors like obesity or family history, are commonly advised to test periodically since type 2 diabetes often develops silently.
No, this test can typically be booked directly without a prescription, though your doctor may specifically order it as part of a broader evaluation.
You do. We only make the introduction — whether you go with the referral or choose someone else is entirely up to you.
Whatever home care you need — physiotherapy, a nurse, elder care, a doctor visit — a patient in your own pincode has probably already found it. Tell us what you're looking for, and we'll connect you directly with them.
