You have your blood test results in your hands and now have your blood sugar levels.
But how to interpret the number indicated?
Some benchmarks can guide you and determine if you are diabetic, pre-diabetic, or if your rate is normal.
So let’s see how to decipher your blood test.
Contents
- 1 What is blood sugar?
- 2 What is a normal blood sugar level?
- 3 What is blood sugar in prediabetes?
- 4 Glucose levels and diabetes
- 5 Blood Sugar Levels Table (Biological Reference Values)
- 6 What is the HbA1c test?
- 7 When to make a blood sugar control?
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions
- 8.1 Why does blood sugar level rise in the morning?
- 8.2 Does blood sugar rise with age?
- 8.3 What is the normal range for blood glucose level over 60 years?
- 8.4 What is the normal blood sugar level for a 70-year-old?
- 8.5 How many times a day should you take your glucose level?
- 8.6 What is glucose intolerance?
- 8.7 Blood glucose test: why not poke the forefinger?
- 8.8 Why wash your hands before using a glucometer?
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar is the level of glucose in the blood.
It is evaluated by a blood sample for laboratory analysis.
It is measured in millimoles per liter or grams of glucose per liter.
What is a normal blood sugar level?
Normal fasting blood glucose levels are between 0,70 and 1,00 g/L or between 3,8 and 5,6 mmol/L.
It changes about two hours after eating and this time changes to a value greater than 1,40 g/L or less than 7,8mmol/L.
What is blood sugar in prediabetes?
Pre-diabetes is manifested at a rate of 1,00 to 1,25g/L or 5,6 to 6,9 mmol /L on an empty stomach.
Here too, it changes two hours after a meal and evolves between 1,40 and 1,99g/L or 7,8 at 11mmol/L.
Glucose levels and diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the blood sugar level exceeds 1,26g/L or 7mmol/L
It exceeds 2,00g/L or is greater than 11mmol/L two hours after a meal.
Blood Sugar Levels Table (Biological Reference Values)
| Normal rate |
Pre-diabetic |
Diabetic |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Fasting |
0.70 to 1.00g/l or 3.8 to 5.6mmol/L |
1.00 to 1.25g/l or 5.6 to 6.9mmol/L |
Greater than 1.26g/l or Greater than 7mmol/L |
| Two hours after a meal |
Greater than 1.40g/l or Less than 7.8mmol/L |
1.40 to 1.99g/l or 7.8 to 11mmol/L |
Greater than 2.00g/l or Greater than 11mmol/L |
What is the HbA1c test?
The test for glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c test may be ordered by your doctor to average blood sugar levels for two to three months.
If this blood test shows a level of 6% or less, it is considered normal.
If it shows an average between 6 and 6.4%, you are considered pre-diabetic.
If it is greater than or equal to 6.5%, you have diabetes.
When to make a blood sugar control?
To obtain a convincing result, it is important to do a blood sugar test on an empty stomach, in the morning and then two hours after breakfast.
If you are on insulin or are ill, it is recommended to multiply the tests during the day to refer to your physician.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does blood sugar level rise in the morning?
This is the dawn phenomenon.
Two to three hours before wake-up time, your body secretes hormones to prepare your body to wake up from sleep.
This release of hormones causes the liver to push glucose into the bloodstream, which raises blood sugar.
In the morning, the body compensates for this rise in blood sugar by secreting insulin.
But if you suffer from insulin resistance, especially in the case of type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, insulin loses its effectiveness and your fasting blood sugar levels remain high.
Does blood sugar rise with age?
Fasting blood sugar levels do indeed increase with age.
We denote a progression by age group:
– 18-29 years old: +1.5%
– 30-54 years old: +5.2%
– 55-74 years old: +9.5%
We also note that it is twice as high in men compared to women.
What is the normal range for blood glucose level over 60 years?
Health Authorities establish a normal fasting blood sugar level ranging between 0,9 and 1,26g/L from 65 years old.
It is also important to measure blood sugar at 1h30 after a meal to assess the body’s ability to assimilate glucose.
A level below 1,40g/L is normal and rules out any suspicion of a metabolic abnormality.
What is the normal blood sugar level for a 70-year-old?
The Health Authorities’ recommendations are identical to the fasting blood sugar level from the age of 65, between 0,90 and 1,26g/L.
When fasting blood sugar is above 1,26g/L, diabetes is diagnosed and should be treated.
How many times a day should you take your glucose level?
It is important to monitor your blood sugar level at least four times a day when diabetes is suspected.
For an accurate assessment, it is recommended to take a sample on waking on an empty stomach, before and after each meal, and at bedtime.
These measures will make it possible to adapt the doses of insulin necessary in the event of type 1 diabetes.
In the context of type 2 diabetes, two measurements per day are recommended in consultation with the attending physician to adjust the treatment.
In all cases, when insulin therapy is started, 4 samples per day are recommended for constant monitoring.
What is glucose intolerance?
Glucose intolerance is also known as prediabetes or insulin resistance.
It demonstrates that the body no longer assimilates sugar normally.
It usually precedes type 2 diabetes.
People with diabetes show higher than normal blood glucose levels without reaching the levels of diagnosed diabetes.
Blood glucose test: why not poke the forefinger?
Constant monitoring of blood glucose levels requires the use of a glucometer to take a drop of blood and place it on a test strip to assess the current glycemic level.
These pickings being frequent, it is advisable to avoid the index finger and the thumb because the fact of poking regularly can lead to the insensitivity of the tips of the fingers.
The thumb and forefinger are the grips of the hand, taking samples from these fingers can cause difficulty in gripping and a lack of dexterity.
Why wash your hands before using a glucometer?
It’s easy to skew your glucometer reading.
It only takes a tiny amount of sugar on your finger to show the wrong result.
It is therefore recommended to wash your hands before taking your sample.
You may forget that you ate a piece of fruit, grabbed a cookie, or put sugar in your coffee an hour before you tested.
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