What random blood glucose level indicates diabetes?

• A. 200 mg/dL or higher
• B. 100 mg/dL or higher
• C. 140 mg/dL or higher
• D. 70 mg/dL or higher

Answer: (A)

Random blood glucose is a single reading taken without regard to meals. A reading of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher, especially when accompanied by classic diabetes symptoms such as increased thirst, frequent urination, or unexplained weight loss, is diagnostic of diabetes. If the random level is below that threshold, diabetes isn’t diagnosed from a single random test alone; other criteria or repeat testing are used. Other diagnostic options include fasting glucose values (≥126 mg/dL), a 2-hour glucose tolerance test value (≥200 mg/dL after 75 g glucose), or an HbA1c of ≥6.5%, typically confirmed with a repeat test if there’s no clear hyperglycemia. The key takeaway is that 200 mg/dL or higher on a random test, with symptoms, indicates diabetes.