A blood glucose test doesn’t necessarily predict a heart attack, but it can reveal that a person is at risk for one as well as other heart-related disorders.
The blood glucose test is one of several screenings that warn people of possible heart damage and diabetes.
Risk factors for heart disease or heart attack include high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, and high blood glucose or sugar levels,
according to the American Heart Association.
Results from heart health screenings for these factors predict your likelihood for heart disease.
SPECIAL: Top Cardiologist: What I learned From 40,000 Heart Procedures
A blood glucose test is among the screenings that help people make the lifestyle changes or take the medications necessary to prevent heart disease that can lead to a heart attack.
“Regular cardiovascular screening is important because it helps you detect risk factors in their earliest stages,” says Dr. Barry A. Franklin, an American Heart Association volunteer and director at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.
The AHA recommends a blood glucose test at least every three years beginning at age 45. The tests can determine high glucose levels that could lead to prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes, which can contribute to heart disease and stroke.
People who have other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, may need testing before age 45 and more often than every three years.
Higher-than-normal blood glucose levels may signal diabetes, but the high levels could also mean stress due to heart attack, stroke, or trauma,
according to the National Institutes of Health.
ALERT: 5 Signs Your Heart Is In Trouble
Diabetics are twice as likely as other people to develop heart disease. They are also at risk for stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, and cerebral vascular disease, according to the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk for heart disease and diabetes, can be discovered through tests of blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose levels.
A blood glucose test measures the blood's sugar level, which is measured in milligrams in every deciliter of blood drawn.
Levels of 100 milligrams or more of glucose per deciliter of blood indicate metabolic syndrome and a possible link to heart disease and heart attack, says the NIDDK.
URGENT: Coronary Heart Disease: 5 Tips to Reduce Your Risk
Related Stories:
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.