This blood sugar chart shows normal blood glucose levels before and after meals and recommended HbA1c levels for people with and without diabetes. Advertisement BLOOD SUGAR CHART. The blood sugar concentration or blood glucose level is the amount of glucose (sugar) present in the blood of a human or an animal. The body naturally tightly regulates blood glucose levels (with the help of insulin that is secreted by pancreas) as a part of metabolic homeostasis. Blood sugar testing is an important part of diabetes care. Find out when to test your blood sugar level, how to use a testing meter and more. If you have diabetes, self-testing your blood sugar (blood glucose) can be an important tool in managing your treatment plan and preventing diabetes.

1. Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart
2. Dangerous Blood Sugar Levels Chart
3. Blood Sugar Levels After Eating Chart
4. Blood Sugar Levels Chart

The blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, or blood glucose level is the concentration of glucose present in the blood of humans and other animals. Glucose is a simple sugar and approximately 4 grams of glucose are present in the blood of a 70-kilogram (150 lb) human at all times.^[2] The body tightly regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis.^[2] Glucose is stored in skeletal muscle and liver cells in the form of glycogen;^[2] in fasted individuals, blood glucose is maintained at a constant level at the expense of glycogen stores in the liver and skeletal muscle.^[2]

In humans, a blood glucose level of four grams, or about a teaspoon, is critical for normal function in a number of tissues, and the human brain consumes approximately 60% of blood glucose in fasted, sedentary individuals.^[2] A persistent elevation in blood glucose leads to glucose toxicity, which contributes to cell dysfunction and the pathology grouped together as complications of diabetes.^[2] Glucose can be transported from the intestines or liver to other tissues in the body via the bloodstream.^[2] Cellular glucose uptake is primarily regulated by insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas.^[2]

Glucose levels are usually lowest in the morning, before the first meal of the day, and rise after meals for an hour or two by a few millimoles.Blood sugar levels outside the normal range may be an indicator of a medical condition. A persistently high level is referred to as hyperglycemia; low levels are referred to as hypoglycemia. Diabetes mellitus is characterized by persistent hyperglycemia from any of several causes, and is the most prominent disease related to failure of blood sugar regulation. There are different methods of testing and measuring blood sugar levels.

The intake of alcohol causes an initial surge in blood sugar, and later tends to cause levels to fall. Also, certain drugs can increase or decrease glucose levels.^[3]

• 2Normal values
• 4Abnormalities
• 5Glucose measurement

Units[edit]

The international standard way of measuring blood glucose levels is in terms of a molar concentration, measured in mmol/L (millimoles per litre; or millimolar, abbreviated mM). In the United States, Germany and other countries mass concentration is measured in mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre).^[4]

Since the molecular weight of glucose C₆H₁₂O₆ is 180, the difference between the two units is a factor of 18, so that 1 mmol/L of glucose is equivalent to 18 mg/dL.^[5]

Normal values[edit]

Humans[edit]

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Many factors affect a person's blood sugar level. The body's homeostatic mechanism of blood sugar regulation (known as glucose homeostasis), when operating normally, restores the blood sugar level to a narrow range of about 4.4 to 6.1 mmol/L (79 to 110 mg/dL) (as measured by a fasting blood glucose test).^[6]

The normal blood glucose level (tested while fasting) for non-diabetics, should be between 3.9 and 7.1 mmol/L (70 to 130 mg/dL). The global mean fasting plasma blood glucose level in humans is about 5.5 mmol/L (100 mg/dL);^[7][5] however, this level fluctuates throughout the day. Blood sugar levels for those without diabetes and who are not fasting should be below 6.9 mmol/L (125 mg/dL).^[8] The blood glucose target range for diabetics, according to the American Diabetes Association, should be 5.0–7.2 mmol/l (90–130 mg/dL) before meals, and less than 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) after meals (as measured by a blood glucose monitor).^[9]

Despite widely variable intervals between meals or the occasional consumption of meals with a substantial carbohydrate load, human blood glucose levels tend to remain within the normal range. However, shortly after eating, the blood glucose level may rise, in non-diabetics, temporarily up to 7.8 mmol/L (140 mg/dL) or slightly more. For people with diabetes maintaining 'tight diabetes control', the American Diabetes Association recommends a post-meal glucose level of less than 10 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) and a fasting plasma glucose of 3.9 to 7.2 mmol/L (70–130 mg/dL).^[10]

The actual amount of glucose in the blood and body fluids is very small. In a healthy adult male of 75 kg with a blood volume of 5 liters, a blood glucose level of 5.5 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) amounts to 5g, equivalent to about a teaspoonful of sugar.^[11] Part of the reason why this amount is so small is that, to maintain an influx of glucose into cells, enzymes modify glucose by adding phosphate or other groups to it.

Other animals[edit]

In general, ranges of blood sugar in common domestic ruminants are lower than in many monogastric mammals.^[12] However this generalization does not extend to wild ruminants or camelids. For serum glucose in mg/dL, reference ranges of 42 to 75 for cows, 44 to 81 for sheep, and 48 to 76 for goats, but 61 to 124 for cats; 62 to 108 for dogs, 62 to 114 for horses, 66 to 116 for pigs, 75 to 155 for rabbits, and 90 to 140 for llamas have been reported.^[13] A 90 percent reference interval for serum glucose of 26 to 181 mg/dL has been reported for captured mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), where no effects of the pursuit and capture on measured levels were evident.^[14] For beluga whales, the 25–75 percent range for serum glucose has been estimated to be 94 to 115 mg/dL.^[15] For the white rhinoceros, one study has indicated that the 95 percent range is 28 to 140 mg/dL.^[16] For harp seals, a serum glucose range of 4.9 to 12.1 mmol/L [i.e. 88 to 218 mg/dL] has been reported; for hooded seals, a range of 7.5 to 15.7 mmol/L [i.e. about 135 to 283 mg/dL] has been reported.^[17]

Regulation[edit]

The body's homeostatic mechanism keeps blood glucose levels within a narrow range. It is composed of several interacting systems, of which hormone regulation is the most important.

There are two types of mutually antagonistic metabolic hormones affecting blood glucose levels:

• catabolic hormones (such as glucagon, cortisol and catecholamines) which increase blood glucose;^[18]
• and one anabolic hormone (insulin), which decreases blood glucose.

These hormones are secreted from pancreatic islets which are bundles of endocrine tissues. There are four types of pancreatic islets, alpha (A) cells, beta (B) cells, Delta (D) cells and F cells. Glucagon is secreted from alpha cells, while insulin is secreted by beta cells. Together they regulate the blood-glucose levels through negative feedback, a process where the end product of one reaction stimulates the beginning of another reaction. In blood-glucose levels, insulin lowers the concentration of glucose in the blood. The lower blood-glucose level (a product of the insulin secretion) triggers glucagon to be secreted, and repeats the cycle.^[19]

In order for blood glucose to be kept stable, modifications to insulin, glucagon, epinephrine and cortisol are made. Each of these hormones has a different responsibility to keep blood glucose regulated; when blood sugar is too high, insulin tells muscles to take up excess glucose for storage. Glucagon responds to too low of a blood glucose level; it informs the tissue to produce more glucose. Epinephrine prepares the muscles and respiratory system for activity in the case of a 'fight and flight' response. Lastly, cortisol supplies the body with fuel in times of heavy stress.^[20]

Abnormalities[edit]

High blood sugar[edit]

If blood sugar levels remain too high the body suppresses appetite over the short term. Long-term hyperglycemia causes many health problems including heart disease, cancer,^[21] eye, kidney, and nerve damage.^[22]

Blood sugar levels above 300mg/dL can cause fatal reactions. Ketones will be very high (a magnitude higher than when eating a very low carbohydrate diet) initiating ketoacidosis. The Mayo Clinic recommends emergency room treatment above 300 mg/dL blood glucose.

The most common cause of hyperglycemia is diabetes. When diabetes is the cause, physicians typically recommend an anti-diabetic medication as treatment. From the perspective of the majority of patients, treatment with an old, well-understood diabetes drug such as metformin will be the safest, most effective, least expensive, most comfortable route to managing the condition.^[23] Diet changes and exercise implementation may also be part of a treatment plan for diabetes.

Low blood sugar[edit]

If blood sugar levels drop too low, a potentially fatal condition called hypoglycemia develops. Symptoms may include lethargy, impaired mental functioning; irritability; shaking, twitching, weakness in arm and leg muscles; pale complexion; sweating; loss of consciousness.

Mechanisms that restore satisfactory blood glucose levels after extreme hypoglycemia (below 40 mg/dL) must be quick and effective to prevent extremely serious consequences of insufficient glucose: confusion or unsteadiness and, in the extreme (below 15 mg/dL) loss of consciousness and seizures. Devil may cry psp download. Without discounting the potentially quite serious conditions and risks due to or oftentimes accompanying hyperglycemia, especially in the long-term (diabetes or pre-diabetes, obesity or overweight, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, etc.), it is still generally more dangerous to have too little glucose – especially if levels are very low – in the blood than too much, at least temporarily, because glucose is so important for metabolism and nutrition and the proper functioning of the body's organs. This is especially the case for those organs that are metabolically active or that require a constant, regulated supply of blood sugar (the liver and brain are examples). In healthy individuals, blood glucose-regulating mechanisms are generally quite effective, and symptomatic hypoglycemia is generally found only in diabetics using insulin or other pharmacological treatment, and in starvation or severe malnutrition or malabsorption (of various causes), and conditions such as anorexia^[dubious]. Hypoglycemic episodes can vary greatly between persons and from time to time, both in severity and swiftness of onset. For severe cases, prompt medical assistance is essential, as damage to brain and other tissues and even death will result from sufficiently low blood-glucose levels.

Glucose measurement[edit]

Sample source[edit]

Glucose testing in a fasting individual, show comparable levels of glucose in arterial, venous, and capillary blood. But following meals, capillary and arterial blood glucose levels can be significantly higher than venous levels. Although these differences vary widely, one study found that following the consumption of 50 grams of glucose, 'the mean capillary blood glucose concentration is higher than the mean venous blood glucose concentration by 35%.'^[24][25][26]

Sample type[edit]

Glucose is measured in whole blood, plasma or serum. Historically, blood glucose values were given in terms of whole blood, but most laboratories now measure and report plasma or serum glucose levels. Because red blood cells (erythrocytes) have a higher concentration of protein (e.g., hemoglobin) than serum, serum has a higher water content and consequently more dissolved glucose than does whole blood. To convert from whole-blood glucose, multiplication by 1.14^[27] has been shown to generally give the serum/plasma level

To prevent contamination of the sample with intravenous fluids, particular care should be given to drawing blood samples from the arm opposite the one in which an intravenous line is inserted. Alternatively, blood can be drawn from the same arm with an IV line after the IV has been turned off for at least 5 minutes, and the arm has been elevated to drain infused fluids away from the vein. Inattention can lead to large errors, since as little as 10% contamination with a 5% glucose solution (D5W) will elevate glucose in a sample by 500 mg/dL or more. The actual concentration of glucose in blood is very low, even in the hyperglycemic.

Measurement techniques[edit]

Two major methods have been used to measure glucose. The first, still in use in some places, is a chemical method exploiting the nonspecific reducing property of glucose in a reaction with an indicator substance that changes color when reduced. Since other blood compounds also have reducing properties (e.g., urea, which can be abnormally high in uremic patients), this technique can produce erroneous readings in some situations (5–15 mg/dL has been reported). The more recent technique, using enzymes specific to glucose, is less susceptible to this kind of error. The two most common employed enzymes are glucose oxidase and hexokinase.^[28] Average blood glucose concentrations can also be measured. This method measures the level of glycated hemoglobin, which is representative of the average blood glucose levels over the last, approximately, 120 days.^[28]

In either case, the chemical system is commonly contained on a test strip which is inserted into a meter, and then has a blood sample applied. Test-strip shapes and their exact chemical composition vary between meter systems and cannot be interchanged. Formerly, some test strips were read (after timing and wiping away the blood sample) by visual comparison against a color chart printed on the vial label. Strips of this type are still used for urine glucose readings, but for blood glucose levels they are obsolete. Their error rates were, in any case, much higher. Errors when using test strips were often caused by the age of the strip or exposure to high temperatures or humidity.^[29] More precise blood glucose measurements are performed in a medical laboratory, using hexokinase, glucose oxidase, or glucose dehydrogenase enzymes.

Urine glucose readings, however taken, are much less useful. In properly functioning kidneys, glucose does not appear in urine until the renal threshold for glucose has been exceeded. This is substantially above any normal glucose level, and is evidence of an existing severe hyperglycemic condition. However, as urine is stored in the bladder, any glucose in it might have been produced at any time since the last time the bladder was emptied. Since metabolic conditions change rapidly, as a result of any of several factors, this is delayed news and gives no warning of a developing condition. Blood glucose monitoring is far preferable, both clinically and for home monitoring by patients. Healthy urine glucose levels were first standardized and published in 1965^[30] by Hans Renschler.

Clinical correlation[edit]

The fasting blood glucose level, which is measured after a fast of 8 hours, is the most commonly used indication of overall glucose homeostasis, largely because disturbing events such as food intake are avoided. Conditions affecting glucose levels are shown in the table below. Abnormalities in these test results are due to problems in the multiple control mechanism of glucose regulation.

The metabolic response to a carbohydrate challenge is conveniently assessed by a postprandial glucose level drawn 2 hours after a meal or a glucose load. In addition, the glucose tolerance test, consisting of several timed measurements after a standardized amount of oral glucose intake, is used to aid in the diagnosis of diabetes.

Error rates for blood glucose measurements systems vary, depending on laboratories, and on the methods used. Colorimetry techniques can be biased by color changes in test strips (from airborne or finger borne contamination, perhaps) or interference (e.g., tinting contaminants) with light source or the light sensor. Electrical techniques are less susceptible to these errors, though not to others. In home use, the most important issue is not accuracy, but trend. Thus if a meter / test strip system is consistently wrong by 10%, there will be little consequence, as long as changes (e.g., due to exercise or medication adjustments) are properly tracked. In the US, home use blood test meters must be approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration before they can be sold.

Finally, there are several influences on blood glucose level aside from food intake. Infection, for instance, tends to change blood glucose levels, as does stress either physical or psychological. Exercise, especially if prolonged or long after the most recent meal, will have an effect as well. In the typical person, maintenance of blood glucose at near constant levels will nevertheless be quite effective.^{[clarification needed]}

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Daly ME, Vale C, Walker M, Littlefield A, Alberti KG, Mathers JC (June 1998). 'Acute effects on insulin sensitivity and diurnal metabolic profiles of a high-sucrose compared with a high-starch diet'(PDF). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 67 (6): 1186–96. doi:10.1093/ajcn/67.6.1186. PMID9625092.
2. ^ ^abcdefghWasserman DH (January 2009). 'Four grams of glucose'. American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism. 296 (1): E11–21. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.90563.2008. PMC2636990. PMID18840763.
3. ^Walker, Rosemary and Rodgers, Jill (2006) Type 2 Diabetes – Your Questions Answered. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN1-74033-550-3.
4. ^Diabetes FAQs – Blood Glucose Measurement Units – Abbott Diabetes Care
5. ^ ^abWhat are mg/dl and mmol/l? How to convert? Glucose? Cholesterol? Advameg, Inc.
6. ^'Screening for Type 2 Diabetes'. Clinical Diabetes. 18 (2). 2000.
7. ^Danaei, G (2 July 2011). 'National, regional, and global trends in fasting plasma glucose and diabetes prevalence since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 370 country-years and 2·7 million participants'. The Lancet. 378 (9785): 31–40. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60679-X. PMID21705069.
8. ^Glucose test – blood. NIH – National Institutes of Health.
9. ^Davidson NK, Moreland P (26 July 2011). 'Living with diabetes blog'. Mayo Clinic. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013.
10. ^American Diabetes Association (January 2006). 'Standards of medical care in diabetes--2006'. Diabetes Care. 29 Suppl 1 (Supplement 1): S4–42. PMID16373931. Standards of Medical Care – Table 6 and Table 7, Correlation between A1C level and Mean Plasma Glucose Levels on Multiple Testing over 2–3 months
11. ^USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 (2009)
12. ^Eiler H (2004). 'Endocrine glands'. In Reese WO (ed.). Dukes' Physiology of Domestic Animals (12th ed.). Ithaca, NY: Comstock. pp. 621–69. ISBN978-0801442384.
13. ^Kahn CM, ed. (2005). Merck Veterinary Manual (9th ed.). Whitehouse Station: Merck & Co. ISBN978-0911910506.
14. ^Rice, C. G.; Hall, B. (2007). 'Hematologic and biochemical reference intervals for mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus): effects of capture conditions'. Northwest Science. 81 (3): 206. doi:10.3955/0029-344X-81.3.206.
15. ^Cornell LH, Duffield DS, Joseph BE, Stark B (April 1988). 'Hematology and serum chemistry values in the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)'. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 24 (2): 220–4. doi:10.7589/0090-3558-24.2.220. PMID3373628.
16. ^Seal, U. S.; Barton, R.; Mather, L.; Gray, C. W. (1976). 'Baseline Laboratory Data for the White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)'(PDF). The Journal of Zoo Animal Medicine. 7 (1): 11–17. JSTOR20094341.
17. ^Boily F, Beaudoin S, Measures LN (January 2006). 'Hematology and serum chemistry of harp (Phoca groenlandica) and hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) during the breeding season, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada'. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 42 (1): 115–32. doi:10.7589/0090-3558-42.1.115. PMID16699154.
18. ^Lehninger A, Nelson D, Cox M (2017). Lehininger Principles of Biochemistry. New York: W.H. Freedom. p. 934. ISBN9781319117689.
19. ^Tortora G (December 2016). Principles Anatomy and Physiology (15 ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. Chapter 18. ISBN9781119343738.
20. ^Lehninger A, Nelson D, Cox M (2017). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry (7th ed.). New York: W.H.Freeman. p. 930. ISBN9781319117689.
21. ^'Excess sugar linked to cancer'. Science Daily.
22. ^'Diabetic ketoacidosis - Symptoms and causes'. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
23. ^Consumer Reports Health Best Buy Drugs. 'The Oral Diabetes Drugs: Treating Type 2 Diabetes'(PDF). Best Buy Drugs: 2. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
24. ^Yang C (2012). 'A Comparison between Venous and Finger-Prick Blood Sampling on Values of Blood Glucose'(PDF). International Proceedings of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering. 39: 236.
25. ^Somogyi M (May 1948). 'Studies of arteriovenous differences in blood sugar; effect of alimentary hyperglycemia on the rate of extrahepatic glucose assimilation'(PDF). The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 174 (1): 189–200. PMID18914074.
26. ^Roe J. 'Glucose Concentration Difference Between Arterial, Capillary, and Venous Blood'. Best Thinking. Archived from the original on 4 December 2014.
27. ^Cox DL, Nelson MM (2013). Lehninger principles of biochemistry (6th ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman. p. 950. ISBN9781429234146.
28. ^ ^abCox MM, Lehninger AL, Nelson DL (2017). Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry. New York: W.H. Freeman. pp. 248–49. ISBN9781319117689.
29. ^Ginsberg BH (July 2009). 'Factors affecting blood glucose monitoring: sources of errors in measurement'. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. 3 (4): 903–13. doi:10.1177/193229680900300438. PMC2769960. PMID20144340.
30. ^Renschler HE, Weicker H, von Baeyer H (December 1965). '[The upper limit of glucose concentration in the urine of healthy subjects]'. Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift. 90 (53): 2349–53. PMID5851934.
31. ^Neocuproine MSDS. hazard.com

Further reading[edit]

• Henry JB (2001). Clinical diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods (20th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders. ISBN978-0721688640.
• Levine R (1986). 'Monosaccharides in health and disease'. Annual Review of Nutrition. 6: 211–24. doi:10.1146/annurev.nu.06.070186.001235. PMID3524617.
• Röder PV, Wu B, Liu Y, Han W (March 2016). 'Pancreatic regulation of glucose homeostasis'. Experimental & Molecular Medicine. 48 (3, March): e219. doi:10.1038/emm.2016.6. PMC4892884. PMID26964835.

External links[edit]

• Media related to Blood sugar level at Wikimedia Commons
• Glucose (blood, serum, plasma): analyte monograph – The Association for Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine

Doctors use blood sugar charts to set target goals and monitor diabetes treatment plans. Blood sugar charts also help those with diabetes assess and self-monitor their blood sugar test results.

The ideal blood sugar level for an individual depends on when in the day they carry out blood glucose monitoring, as well as when they last ate.

In this article, we provide some charts that demonstrate the ideal blood sugar levels throughout the day. We also explain the importance of staying within the recommended ranges.

Blood sugar chart

Blood sugar charts act as a reference guide for blood sugar test results. As such, blood sugar charts are important tools for diabetes management.

Most diabetes treatment plans involve keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal or target goals as possible. This requires frequent at-home and doctor-ordered testing, along with an understanding of how results compare with target levels.

Doctors often provide A1C blood sugar recommendations in blood sugar charts. They tend to give A1C results as both a percentage and an average blood sugar level in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).

To help interpret and assess blood sugar results, the following charts outline normal and abnormal blood sugar levels for those with and without diabetes.

Although a doctor will provide these as a guide, they will also individualize a glucose management plan and include either more or less stringent personal targets.

An A1C test measures a person's average blood sugar levels over a 3-month period, which gives a wider insight into their overall management of their blood sugar levels.

Guidelines

Appropriate blood sugar levels vary throughout the day and from person to person.

Blood sugars are often lowest before breakfast and in the lead up to meals. Blood sugars are often highest in the hours following meals.

People with diabetes will often have higher blood sugar targets or acceptable ranges than those without the condition.

These targets vary according to a range of factors, some of which include:

• age and life expectancy
• the presence of other health conditions
• how long a person has had diabetes
• diagnosed cardiovascular disease
• problems with the smallest arteries in the body
• any known damage to the eyes, kidneys, blood vessels, brain, or heart
• personal habits and lifestyle factors
• not being aware of low blood sugar levels
• other illnesses

Most blood sugar charts show recommended levels as a range, allowing for differences between individuals.

The American Diabetes Association, Joslin Diabetes Center, and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists also offer slightly different blood sugar guidelines for those with diabetes.

Interpreting the results

Interpreting blood sugar meter readings depends mostly on individual patterns and targets. A medical professional will set these at the beginning of diabetes treatment.

Certain forms of temporary diabetes, such as gestational diabetes, also have separate blood sugar recommendations.

A person with very high or low fasting blood sugar levels should take the following actions:

Very high: Seek immediate medical attention

As long as blood sugar levels do not become critically dangerous, there are ways to return them to within a normal range when readings become too high.

Some ways to lower blood sugar levels include:

Normal Blood Sugar Levels Chart

• limiting carbohydrate intake but not fasting
• increasing water intake to maintain hydration and dilute excess blood sugar
• engaging in physical activity, such as a post-meal walk, to burn excess blood sugar
• eating more fiber

These methods should not replace medical treatment but are a helpful addition to any diabetes treatment plan. If blood sugar readings seem unusual or unexpected, consult a doctor.

That said, many factors relating to a monitoring device and its user can influence blood sugar readings, possibly causing them to be inaccurate.

Monitoring levels

Monitoring blood sugar levels is an important part of diabetes management. The best monitoring plans often rely on both self-monitoring at home and doctor-ordered tests, such as A1C tests.

Many types of blood sugar monitor are available for self-monitoring. Most blood sugar monitors in the United States involve using blood obtained from a finger prick and testing strips. These give blood sugar readings in mg/dl.

Modern home blood sugar meters produce plasma glucose counts instead of whole blood glucose counts.

This allows for more accurate readings of daily blood glucose levels. It is also easier to directly compare the results of self-monitoring and doctor-ordered tests, as doctors also use plasma glucose counts.

Tracking daily blood sugar level changes can help doctors understand how well treatment plans are working. This can help them determine when to adjust medications or targets. It can also help reflect the impact of diet and exercise.

The frequency of blood sugar tests varies among individual treatment plans, as well as the type and stage of diabetes.

Recommendations for testing are as follows:

Type 1, adult: Check at least twice daily, up to 10 times. People should perform their tests before breakfast, at fasting, before meals, sometimes 2 hours after meals, before and after physical activity, and at bedtime.

Type 1, child: Check at least four times daily. People should perform their tests before meals and at bedtime. Tests may also be required 1–2 hours after meals, before and after exercise, and overnight.

Type 2, people taking insulin or other management medications: The recommended frequency of testing varies depending on insulin dosage and the use of any additional medications.

Those taking intensive insulin should test when fasting, before meals and bedtime, and sometimes overnight. Those taking insulin and additional medications should at least perform tests at fasting and bedtime. People taking background insulin and one daily premixed insulin injection should perform tests when fasting, before premixed dosages and meals, and sometimes overnight.

Those not taking noninsulin oral medications or managing blood sugar levels through dietary adjustments require much less frequent blood sugar testing at home.

Type 2, when there is a low risk of low blood sugar: Often, daily tests are not necessary. Performing tests at meal times and bedtime should reflect the real-time impact of lifestyle changes.

If a person is not meeting blood sugar goals or A1C targets, the frequency of testing should increase until levels return to within the normal ranges.

Gestational: Those following a course of insulin should perform tests at fasting, before meals, and 1 hour after meals. Those not taking insulin should perform tests at fasting and 1 hour after meals.

People with gestational diabetes should test more regularly during periods of physical and emotional stress, such as acute illness or depression.

Continuous glucose monitors (CMGs) are devices that are particularly helpful for people who have difficulty using blood sugar meters. CMGs have a sensor that the individual inserts into their skin to measure the amount of sugar in tissue.

If blood sugar levels become much higher than or too far below the established targets, an alarm will sound. Some CMGs also track the changes in blood sugar level over the course of hours and display to the user whether levels are rising or falling.

A person should verify CMGs regularly by taking blood sugar levels with a finger-prick meter. It is best to perform tests at times when blood sugar levels are steady, so avoid testing straight after meals and bouts of physical activity.

Dangerous Blood Sugar Levels Chart

Summary

Managing blood sugar levels is an important step in preventing the complications of diabetes.

Making sure that blood sugar levels stay within normal ranges can also be a strong sign that treatment is working.

Although many people will have individual requirements and characteristics that shape their target blood sugar range, a doctor will set these goals using a blood sugar chart at the start of treatment. They may adjust these targets as treatment progresses.

If a person notices any symptoms of either extremely low or extremely high blood sugar, they should seek medical attention.

Q:

What causes low blood sugar in people with diabetes?

A:

Low blood sugar in a person with diabetes is most likely due to the medication they are taking.

Anyone experiencing periods of low blood sugar should discuss this with their doctor, as they may need to change the dosage or type of medication. Different types of insulin, for instance, have different peak times; some work right away, while others may take effect more slowly but last longer.

Diet and exercise also affect blood sugar levels, so coordinating the best times in relation to meals and medication may help. Keeping a journal that includes the food a person eats and when, the amount of medication they take and when, and any exercise they engage in will help them and their doctor devise a good plan.

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Bailey, T. S., et al. (2016). American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology 2016 outpatient glucose monitoring consensus statement. https://www.aace.com/files/position-statements/outpatient-glucose-monitoring-consensus-statement.pdf

Checking your blood glucose. (2018). http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/checking-your-blood-glucose.html

Diabetes and stress. (n.d.). http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-destress.html

Goals for blood glucose control. (n.d.). http://www.joslin.org/info/Goals-for-Blood-Glucose-Control.html

Monitoring your blood glucose. (n.d.). http://www.joslin.org/info/monitoring_your_blood_glucose.html

Plasma glucose meters and whole blood meters. (n.d.). http://www.joslin.org/info/plasma_glucose_meters_and_whole_blood_meters.html

The A1C test & diabetes. (2018). https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/tests-diagnosis/a1c-test

Blood Sugar Levels Chart

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Huizen, J. (2019, May 17). 'What are the ideal blood sugar levels?.' Medical News Today. Retrieved from
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317536.php.

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