Health Tests · Labcorp OnDemand
Fasting Glucose Test, $39
$39 · no doctor visit needed
- Order online, walk into 2,000+ locations — no appointment
- Physician order included — no doctor visit required
- Results in your portal in days
Same certified lab your doctor uses. HSA/FSA accepted.
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Order online for $39, fast for 8 hours, then walk into any of 2,000+ locations — no doctor's visit needed. One number — your blood sugar after an overnight fast — with results in a day, and the three bands that tell you what it means.
The short version
$39, one morning walk-in visit, results in a day
The Fasting Glucose Test ($39) measures the sugar in your blood after an overnight fast — the simplest screen for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes there is. Order online, fast 8 hours, walk in for the draw, results in a day. A single number is a snapshot, not a diagnosis: it says what your blood sugar was that morning, not why.
Shopping links on this page go directly to Labcorp OnDemand. We don't earn a commission on orders.
Price
| Test | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting Glucose Test | $39 | Order now → |
Prices checked Nov 11, 2026. HSA/FSA eligible. Self-pay; insurance not billed.
What fasting glucose measures — and why the fast matters
Glucose is the main sugar found in the blood and the body’s vital energy source. A fasting glucose test measures it after you have not eaten or drunk anything except water for at least 8 hours. The fast is the whole point: eating raises blood sugar for hours afterward, so a fed draw measures your last meal, not your baseline regulation. An elevated fasting glucose level may indicate impaired insulin function or early signs of diabetes, while a low level could suggest hormonal or other metabolic concerns. Two things complicate the reading: glucose levels are also affected by acute illness, certain medications such as corticosteroids, and physical or emotional stress, so the number needs that context, read with a clinician.
Who should consider it — and who should skip it
This test fits people monitoring their blood sugar, people managing weight or prediabetes, and people being proactive about metabolic health. The American Diabetes Association recommends regular screening for adults, especially those aged 35 or older or with risk factors such as being overweight. Elevated glucose often causes no symptoms at first, though some people notice fatigue or increased hunger — possible early signs of insulin resistance. It is the wrong purchase if you already have diagnosed diabetes: then your testing should run through your clinician, who can order the right markers and read them against your history. And if you feel fine, with no risk factors and no reason to look, it is a low-yield purchase — the test earns its keep when there is a reason to check, not as a general wellness sweep.
Reading the number: the three bands — and their honest limits
The ranges come from the American Diabetes Association: normal is less than 100 mg/dL; prediabetes is 100–125 mg/dL; diabetes is 126 mg/dL or higher, repeated on a second day. A repeated high result may indicate diabetes, while a level in the prediabetes band suggests your body may not be using insulin effectively. Elevated glucose can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney and nerve damage, and vision problems — which is why catching it early matters. The honest limits: one number is a snapshot of a single morning, and a bad night’s sleep, an illness, stress, or a medication can push it up without diabetes behind it; a normal result, meanwhile, does not rule out problems that only show up after eating. The number is a prompt for follow-up, not a verdict.
A single fasting glucose above 126 mg/dL needs a repeat test and a clinician conversation before it means diabetes. Abnormal results deserve follow-up with your healthcare provider — not a supplement order, and not a diet overhaul decided from one number.
Fasting glucose vs HbA1c: snapshot vs average
Both tests measure blood sugar, but they answer different questions. HbA1c reflects your average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months — it measures the percentage of sugar-coated hemoglobin in your red blood cells. Fasting glucose is a snapshot of your blood sugar at a single point in time, typically after 8 to 12 hours of fasting. HbA1c is useful for long-term monitoring; a fasting glucose test is often used for initial diabetes screening or to detect short-term changes in blood sugar regulation. Glucose is often evaluated alongside HbA1c to gain a full picture of diabetes risk — the snapshot tells you where you are this morning, the average tells you where you have been for months, and neither alone is a diagnosis.
How walk-in fasting glucose testing works
You order the test online, then visit a patient service center for a standard venous blood draw — no doctor’s order, no appointment, and no insurance needed. The one prep rule that matters: fast for 8 hours before the sample collection (no food or drink, except water). Results typically post to a secure portal 1 day after your sample arrives at the lab. HSA/FSA accepted. Testing is performed in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. The test must be taken by the purchaser, and it is available to adults 18 to 100. A 20% off promo code is currently running — check the product page for the current price before ordering.
Common questions
Do I need to fast before a fasting glucose test?
Yes. Fast for 8 hours before the blood draw — no food or drink except water. The fast is what makes the number meaningful: a fed draw measures your last meal, not your baseline blood sugar regulation.
What is a normal fasting glucose level?
Per the American Diabetes Association: normal is less than 100 mg/dL, prediabetes is 100–125 mg/dL, and diabetes is 126 mg/dL or higher, repeated on a second day. Read the range printed on your own report — and treat a borderline result as a reason for follow-up with your doctor, not a verdict.
Can one fasting glucose test diagnose diabetes?
No. A repeated high result (126 mg/dL or higher on a second day) may indicate diabetes, but diagnosis needs confirmatory testing with a clinician. A single high reading can also come from illness, stress, or a medication such as a corticosteroid — so the number needs that context.
How is this different from an HbA1c test?
Fasting glucose is a snapshot of your blood sugar at one point in time, after 8–12 hours of fasting. HbA1c reflects your average blood glucose over the past 2–3 months. HbA1c is useful for long-term monitoring; fasting glucose is often used for initial screening or to detect short-term changes. The two are often evaluated together for a fuller picture.
What else can raise fasting glucose besides diabetes?
Insulin resistance, a high-carbohydrate diet or frequent sugar intake, a sedentary lifestyle, stress or illness, hormonal conditions such as Cushing syndrome, certain medications including corticosteroids, and genetic factors or a family history of diabetes. If your result is high, your clinician will want to know which of these apply before deciding what it means.
How often should I test?
The American Diabetes Association recommends regular screening for adults, especially those 35 or older or with risk factors such as being overweight. How often you personally should test is a clinician question — ask your doctor what fits your risk factors and history.
Is this a home test kit?
No. This is an in-person blood draw at a patient service center — you order online, then walk in for the sample collection. Your results arrive through a secure online portal, typically 1 day after your sample reaches the lab.
Ready to order?
Get your fasting glucose number this week
Order the Fasting Glucose Test for $39 and walk in this week after an 8-hour fast — no doctor visit required.