The blood sugar (glucose) level is a test worth doing if you are constantly thirsty, use the toilet frequently, lose weight, feel drowsy and apathetic. Blood sugar should be measured regularly, even when you are not experiencing disturbing symptoms, because diabetes can also develop in secret. Find out how to check your blood sugar (glucose) level, what the test standards are and how to interpret the test results.

Blood sugar (glucose) leveltotest ,which is performed as a preventive measure for diabetes to diagnose carbohydrate tolerance disorders or to diagnose and monitor diabetes treatment.

You can measure your blood sugar (glucose) levelwith the meter yourself at home or in the laboratory. In the latter case,blood sugaris measured after blood is drawn from a vein (most often from the elbow bend).

Testing the blood sugar (glucose) level: norm

Glucose normsaccording to criteria developed by a team of Polish Diabetes Association researchers

fasting venous blood glucose is

Glucose LevelInterpretation
70 to 99 mg / dL (3.9 to 5.5 mmol / L)Correct glucose level
100 to 125 mg / dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol / L)Abnormal levelFasting glucose(pre-diabetes)
≥ 126 mg / dL (7.0 mmol / L) in at least two measurementsDiabetes

Random blood glucose- result ≥ 200 mg / dL (11.1 mmol / L) means diabetes when there are symptoms of hyperglycemia, such as:

  • increased thirst
  • polyuria
  • weakness

Glucose at 120 minutes of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)

Glucose LevelInterpretation
<140 mg/dl (7,8 mmol/l)normal glucose tolerance
140-199 mg / dL (7.8-11.0 mmol / L)abnormal glucose tolerance

≥ 200 mg / dL (11.1 mmol / L)

diabetes

Blood sugar (glucose) test: results

Increased blood glucosedoes not necessarily mean diabetes, but requires further diagnosis, especially when the abnormal result is accompanied by, for example :

  • overweight
  • obesity
  • lack of physical activity
  • hypertension
  • relatives have or have diabetes

Other clinical symptoms that require additional blood sugar monitoring include:

  • weight loss not justified by diet
  • frequent urination
  • increased thirst
  • general weakness

An additional test should also be performed by people who previously found an elevated glucose concentration.

There are a number of other factors that causea rise in blood sugar . These include:

  • acromegaly (growth hormone excess)
  • insulin resistance
  • poorly treated diabetes (missing insulin dose or poorly selected treatment)
  • stress (as a result of an injury, accident, heart attack, stroke)
  • chronic renal failure
  • Cushing's syndrome
  • taking certain medications: corticosteroids, tricyclic antidepressants, estrogens (including birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy), lithium, acetylsalicylic acid
  • excessive intake of food in relation to the requirement
  • endocrine diseases

In turn, possiblereasons for low glucose levelsare:

  • improper treatment of diabetes - insulin overdose, failure to eat a meal after administration of insulin
  • postprandial syndrome - this is a symptom complex that occurs after stomach operations. One of these symptoms is just decreased blood glucose after eating a meal
  • insulin-secreting tumor (rare)
  • adrenal insufficiency

Testing the blood sugar (glucose) level: indications

Blood sugar (glucose) level should be measured:

  • when there are symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) or hypoglycaemia (hyperglycaemia)
  • diabetics regularly (they measure sugar several times a day)
  • in every pregnant woman - between 24 and 28 weeks, the test helps to detect gestational diabetes
  • in people from the risk group, i.e. those with:
    • overweight (BMI over 25) or obese
    • family history of diabetes (parents or siblings)
    • little physical activity
    • abnormal fasting glucose or a history of glucose intolerance
    • traveledgestational diabetes
    • giving birth to a child whose body weight at birth exceeds 4 kg
    • hypertension (blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg)
    • hyperlipidemia: HDL less than 40 mg / dL (1.0 mmol / L) and / or triglycerides greater than 250 mg / dL (2.85 mmol / L)
    • polycystic ovary syndrome
    • cardiovascular disease

He althy people should haveblood sugar testing every year .

Testing the blood sugar (glucose) level: how to prepare?

If the test is to be performed on an empty stomach, i.e. 12 hours after the last meal, you should report for it in the morning - between 7 and 9.

If the fasting blood sugar test is abnormal, please repeat it.

You should refrain from exercise, becauseglucosebelongs to the so-called energy substances and is consumed during hard work or exercise. So after exercise, your blood glucose will be low.

It is also good to refrain from abundant, fatty food the day before, as this may also distort the test result. If you are taking any medications, take them only after your morning blood draw.

Testing the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood: what is it?

The material needed to determine the blood sugar level is a blood sample taken from a vein or in the case of a home test - a drop of blood flowing out after the skin is punctured (usually from the fingertip).

Blood sugar testing can be performed on an empty stomach or at any time of the day or night, regardless of the previously taken meals (the so-calledrandom glucose level ).

The blood glucose level can also be measured after a meal (most often in people already diagnosed with diabetes; it is a postprandial glycemia test, which is performed two hours after starting a meal, using a glucose meter at home).

Blood sugar testing can also be part of theOral Glucose Load Test (OGTT) . If your doctor is in doubt as to whether you have already developed diabetes, he or she may order an oral glucose tolerance test.

The first step in order not to unnecessarily burden the patient with drinking glucose solution when the blood sugar level is high is to test the concentration of glucose in capillary blood, ie in a drop of blood taken from the finger; The glucose meter result is assessed by the diagnostician. If it is not overstated (less than 140 mg / dl), blood is drawn from a vein in the elbow flexion.

Then we drink 75 g of glucose dissolved in a glass of water (in some laboratories for improvementa few drops of lemon juice are added to the solution) and for two hours we should remain calm: do not run, do not do hard work, do not be nervous, lest the body use up excess glucose.

Blood is drawn from the vein again to assess the blood sugar level.

Worth knowing

How is diabetes diagnosed?

Diabetes diagnosis is possible due to the presence of symptoms of hyperglycaemia in combination with random glycaemia (which does not occur in the morning and on an empty stomach) not lower than 200 mg / dl (11.1 mmol / l) or fasting glucose measured twice, at least 126 mg / dL (7 mmol / L) or 2nd hour blood glucoseglucose200 mg / dL (11.1 mmol / L) minimum.

Determining glycosylated hemoglobin is not a diabetes diagnosis test, but it can be used as a screening test for double fasting blood glucose measurements.

Performing a glycosylated hemoglobin test allows you to determine the average glucose levels (sugar levels) over the last 100 days.

The results show not only whether the implemented treatment is effective, but also whether the patient complied with the medical recommendations.

The text uses excerpts from the article by Anna Jarosz from the monthly "Zdrowie".

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