What Is Fasting Glucose Level

Target Blood Sugar Levels For Children And Adolescents With Diabetes

Age 6-12 Bedtime 100-180

Kids aged 6 to 12 should have blood sugar levels that range between 80 to 180 mg/dL over the course of a day. Blood sugar levels go up after eating a meal because the body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which is then distributed throughout the bloodstream. Other macronutrientsprotein and fatturn into glucose as well, but at a slower rate. Many people learn how to use these factors to their advantage. For example, if a childs sugar is trending low, a bedtime snack that includes something with protein and fat, like chocolate milk or peanut butter, will help raise blood sugar levels and help keep blood sugar levels steady through the night.

When you wake up in the morning, your fasting blood sugar is generally at its lowest because you havent consumed food for about eight hours. However, many people experience an increase in blood sugar levels in the early morning hours. If youre an adult and struggling with glucose control, your healthcare provider can help you develop a treatment plan to manage your blood sugar better.

Blood glucose levels outside the ranges listed above are categorized as either high or low blood sugar. For example, according to this chart, blood sugar levels are considered high if theyre over 130 mg/dL before a meal or 180 mg/dL within one to two hours after a meal. Many people wont start to experience symptoms from high blood sugar until their levels are at 250 mg/dL or higher. .

Level Of Blood Glucose In Adults:

The normal glucose level range from 100-180 mg/dL in a day. Generally, when they wake up after fasting for around 7-8 hours the sugar level in blood is at the lowest. The normal fasting blood sugar level can be less than 100mg/dL. After 2 hours of having meal, the blood glucose level ranges between 90 to 110 mg/dL.

The Best Healthcare Options To Prevent Diabetes

Health care is expensive. Canada spent an estimated $253.5 billion in 2018, and as the cost of health care increases, so does the cost to you. Pre-existing medical conditions, family history, and BMI are all factors that increase the cost of health care. These factors also increase your risk of diabetes, so you must be covered.

Of course, as a Canadian, you are entitled to some free and subsidized health care, which is great. But many people opt for private healthcare and for diabetes prevention this can be very useful. If youre shopping around for private healthcare, its important to choose the right package.

Basic health insurance will usually cover health care, medical services, and prescriptions, but they tend to lack customizations. If you opt for a premium/guaranteed health insurance you have the bonus of a custom plan based on your needs if you are worried about your risk of diabetes this is like gold dust.

Private healthcare plans can cover the cost of many expenses related to diabetes such as blood tests, blood sugar monitors, specialist referrals, hospital stays, and much more! The most important thing to note about private health care is that it covers costs for preventative care, not just treatment for diseases.

There are many different options available, so make sure you search for the best quotes.

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Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

If your test results show you have prediabetes, ask your doctor or nurse if there is a lifestyle change program offered through the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program in your community. You can also search for an online or in-person program. Having prediabetes puts you at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, but participating in the program can lower your risk by as much as 58% .

Interpretation Of Fasting Blood Sugar Test Results

The reference ranges of blood glucose levels are indicated in milligrams per decilitre. The glucose range values and their interpretations are mentioned below.

If your results show a high fasting blood sugar level, your physician may recommend a re-test or additional tests such as a random/ non-fasting blood sugar test, A1c test, and oral glucose tolerance test.

Even if the test reports show a prediabetic condition, a repetition of fasting blood sugar levels for a couple of years will help the doctor understand the conditions progress towards type 2 diabetes.

Abnormally lower than normal glucose values indicate hypoglycemia or can be due to diabetes medications. This is a life-threatening condition.

With no risks or complications, a fasting blood sugar test is a diabetes monitoring test that detects if a person has diabetes, prediabetes, or gestational diabetes. Before the test, refrain from eating or drinking anything except for water. Connect with your physician if you have symptoms of diabetes or need a full-body checkup done. Your doctor will guide you to get a fasting blood glucose test.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should be my blood sugar while fasting?

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Can I Do A Fasting Blood Sugar Test At Home Instead

There are kits that allow you to test your blood sugar at home. But they should not be used to diagnose diabetes.

The results are often not as accurate as tests by a healthcare provider. Several factors can affect accuracy, such as:

• Environmental conditions.
• Unclean skin on the finger being pricked.
• Expired or damaged test strips.
• Not enough blood in the testing sample.

At-home blood testing kits are intended to help people who have already been diagnosed. They help people with diabetes manage the condition and understand what factors affect their blood sugar.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Fasting blood sugar is a simple, common blood test to diagnose prediabetes, diabetes or gestational diabetes. Before the test, you shouldnt have anything to eat or drink for 8 to 12 hours. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need a fasting blood glucose test.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/17/2021.

References

Causes And Symptoms Of Diabetes

The values of blood glucose that are slightly higher than the normal values indicate higher risk of developing diabetes. This condition is known as prediabetes. Regular check ups help diagnose diabetes in early stage which helps control the disease with the help of modified diet, exercise, and medications. Frequent urination, increased wound healing time, increased thirst, strong hunger prangs, blurry vision, frequent infections, weight loss, excessive weakness, and changes in skin are some symptoms of diabetes. Obesity, high blood pressure, family history, insulin resistance, low insulin levels, high cholesterol and/or triglycerides levels, and lack of exercise are some of the common factors which can lead to diabetes.

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Recommended Blood Sugar Targets For Most People With Diabetes*

Your targets may not be the same as the examples in this chart. Your targets are important and should be specific to you.

* This information is based on the Diabetes Canada 2018 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada and is a guide.** A1C is a measurement of your average blood sugar control for the last two to three months and approximately 50 per cent of the value comes from the last 30 days.

How Should Blood Sugar Levels Be Before And After Eating

Ideally, before eating , your blood sugars should be between 80-130 mg/dL. One to two hours after eating , your blood sugars should be below 180 mg/dL.

Blood glucose levels can be affected by the type of food consumed, how much, and when but also many other different factors like physical activity, taking other medications, having other medical conditions, stress, age, an illness, and even menstrual periods.

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Cgm Studies In Nondiabetic Individuals

One study from 2009 entitled Reference Values for Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Chinese Subjects looked at the glucose levels of 434 healthy adults using CGM and found the following:

• On average, their daily glucose levels stayed between 70140 mg/dl for 93% of the day, with very small portions of the day spent above 140 mg/dl or below 70 mg/dl.
• Also, their mean 24-hour glucose levels were around 104 mg/dl
• 1-hour post-meal glucose values average 121-123 mg/dl for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• 3-hour post-meal glucose values were around 97-114 mg/dl.
• Peak post-meal values appeared to be around 60 minutes after eating.
• Mean fasting glucose was 86 ± 7 mg/dl.
• Mean daytime glucose was 106 ± 11 mg/dl.
• Mean nighttime glucose was 99 ± 11 mg/dl.

A 2010 study, Variation of Interstitial Glucose Measurements Assessed by Continuous Glucose Monitors in Healthy, Nondiabetic Individuals, looked at a healthy population of 74 individuals that included children, adolescents, and adults during daily living using CGM. This research showed that:

• Glucose levels stayed between 71-120 mg/dl for 91% of the day.
• Levels were lower than 70 mg/dl for 1.7% of the time and greater than 140 mg/dl, only 0.4% of the time.
• Mean 24-hour glucose was 98 ± 10 mg/dl.
• Mean fasting glucose of 86 ± 8 mg/dl.

Compared to the first study mentioned, these healthy, nondiabetic individuals appeared to have a tighter range of glucose, spending the vast majority of the 24-hour period between 71-120 mg/dl.

How To Lower Your A1c Levels

Its important to get your hemoglobin A1C levels as close to normal as possible, says Dr. Bellatoni, Decreasing your hemoglobin A1C decreases your risk of having complications from diabetes. Even if you cannot get your A1C back to the normal range, any improvement lowers your risk of diabetes complications.

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Random Blood Sugar Test

This measures your blood sugar at the time youre tested. You can take this test at any time and dont need to fast first. A blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL or higher indicates you have diabetes.

*Results for gestational diabetes can differ. Ask your health care provider what your results mean if youre being tested for gestational diabetes.Source: American Diabetes Association

If your doctor thinks you have type 1 diabetes, your blood may also tested for autoantibodies that are often present in type 1 diabetes but not in type 2 diabetes. You may have your urine tested for ketones , which also indicate type 1 diabetes instead of type 2 diabetes.

How Is It Determined If The Dawn Phenomenon Or Somogyi Effect Is Causing The High Blood Sugar Levels

Your doctor will likely ask you to check your blood sugar levels between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. for several nights in a row. If your blood sugar is consistently low during this time, the Somogyi effect is suspected. If the blood sugar is normal during this time period, the dawn phenomenon is more likely to be the cause.

Some additional clues that the Somogyi effect may be the cause include nightmares, restless sleep and overnight sweating as these are all signs of low blood sugar levels.

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What Can I Expect On The Day Of The Test

A fasting blood glucose test is often done with a common blood draw. A healthcare provider will:

• Clean the area inside your elbow to kill any germs.
• Tie a band around your upper arm, which will help the veins in your arm fill with blood.
• Insert a clean needle into a vein .
• Draw blood into a vial thats attached to the needle and labeled with your personal information.
• Remove the band and then the needle.
• Put pressure on the needle insertion site to stop the bleeding.
• Place a bandage on the area.

After the test, the healthcare provider will send the blood sample to a lab for testing.

In some cases, your healthcare provider may be able to test your blood sugar with a prick on the finger instead of a needle in the vein. The provider uses a blood glucose monitor and test strip to measure your blood glucose level in the office.

Measuring Your Average Blood Sugar With A1c

Your A1c is a good measure of your average blood glucose control over the past two to three months. The lower your A1c, the better your blood sugar control. An A1c of less than seven percent is normal for people without diabetes. For people with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends an A1c below eight percent.

The ADA provides is with a clear range of blood sugar levels next to the A1c percentages.

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How To Raise Your Blood Sugar

When blood sugar drops < 70, accompanied by symptoms, eat 15 grams of quickly absorbing carbs , then wait 15 minutes for your glucose to rise.

Once your glucose returns to normal levels, it can help to eat a protein or fiber-focused meal to prevent future dips. McKinney suggests unsweetened Greek yogurt with berries or one to two hard-boiled eggs with sliced avocado on a slice of whole-wheat toast.

If you eat a low carbohydrate diet, seeing your glucose dip < 70 may not be a cause for concern. Itâs because your body may already be accustomed to lower baseline glucose. In this case, itâs essential to monitor for symptoms and make sure glycemic variability is even during the day.

Maintain A Healthy Weight

It is relatively more challenging for the body to use insulin and manage blood sugar levels with overweight or obesity. The body fails to actively respond to insulin due to extra weight in the body. It results in increased high fasting blood glucose levels and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Insulin insensitivity leads to weight gain, leading to poor insulin sensitivity, creating a loop.

Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, research links fat to insulin resistance and the growth of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of high fasting blood glucose levels and even reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Blood Sugar Levels And Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you may be wondering what your blood glucose should be. Hopefully your doctor, nurse practitioner, physicians assistant or whoever diagnosed you has given you answers to that question. Unfortunately, though, not everyone is given glucose goals. Or in some cases, it may have been a long time ago, and theyve since been forgotten. No worries well go over all that!

Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar

In contrast, hypoglycemic refers to when your blood sugar is too low. Common symptoms include irregular or fast heartbeat, shakiness, anxiety, pale skin, fatigue, hunger, sweating, irritability, and tingling/numbness in cheek, lips, or tongue. As it gets worse, you may also experience confusion, blurred vision, seizures, and loss of consciousness.

If you have diabetes, low blood sugar can happen if youre not taking enough medicine. Hypoglycemia is less common in people who dont have diabetes but it can happen. Things like certain medicines, excessive alcohol drinking, critical illness, and hormone deficiency can cause low blood sugar in individuals without diabetes.

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Nighttime Low Blood Sugars

You may experience a low blood sugar night. The low blood sugar might wake you up and your symptoms might be similar to those you have during the day. However, the symptoms may be different. You might have nightmares, sleep poorly, perspire, or feel hot and cold. In the morning you may have a headache, feel nauseated, or feel confused. Notify your doctor if this happens. Check your blood sugar at the time you have the symptoms.

Treatment for a low blood sugar that occurs at night is the same as described earlier.

Your doctor may request that you check a 3:00 a.m. blood sugar 1 to 2 times per week in order to detect any low blood sugars during the night.

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a health care professional.

How To Prevent High Blood Glucose Levels

type 1 diabetes ideas can help keep your glucose

• Follow your diabetes meal plan. If that you take insulin or oral diabetes medications, its significant that you be steady about the amount and timing of your meals and bites. The food you eat should be in balance with the insulin working in your body.
• Monitor your glucose. Depending upon your treatment plan, you may check and record your glucose level many times each week or several times each day. Careful monitoring is the best way to ensure that your glucose level remains within your objective reach. Note when your glucose readings are above or underneath your objective reach.
• Taking of your medications as prescribed by your doctor.
• Change your medicine if you change your physical activity. The change relies upon the glucose test results and on the type and length of the activity.
• Encountering emotional stress, for example, financial loss or working environment challenges

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